Dear Friends,
On the 29th of November I shall run a Half Marathon (21.1km or 13miles) in Yokohama, Japan.  To make my run more than just a run I wish to raise sponsporship for SightSavers International, and I’d like to ask for your help.

One of the things I treasure most in life is my sight, as you all know I’m a photographer, my sight means everything to me. As I do my training runs each day there is any number of small details to see and observe, the winter sunlight casting 40 foot long shadows, the white egret birds on the river standing still,  or the koi carp meandering in the rivers. Every day, every run, a new sight worth seeing.

Now imagine you could not see…

Last year in the developing world SightSavers treated over 3.7 million people for potentially blinding conditions, carried out 274,178 sight-restoring cataract operations, and provided training and support to 8,670 people who are irreversibly blind. Even small donations can have a huge impact on someone’s life, £5 (8USD) can pay for a trichiasis operation saving sight, £10 can buy a child spectacles, £17 can pay for a cataract operation for an adult. These small and cheap operations can give someone back their sight, enabling them to work and to provide for their family, or to obtain an education. This is why I’ve chosen to try and fundraise for this charity.

Sponsoring me through my  ‘Just Giving’ Sponsorship Page is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I appreciate times are hard right now in many industries, and for many people, but if you can afford to spare a few Pounds, Yen, Euros or Dollars, it’d be most appreciated by me, spurring me on to the finishing line, and it will also be appreciated by the person who receives the help and gift of getting their sight back. Thank you.

With best wishes,

Jeremy

….In case you’re wondering…Pheidippides ran the 40 km from the battlefield near the town of Marathon to Athens, to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) with the words “We have won”. With that he collapsed on the spot and died from exhaustion. But a distance race was created in his honour….