Three Bolton Specsavers colleagues are saying “Balls to Cancer” this weekend as they embark on a two-day, 20 kilometre hike up and down eleven fells in the Lake District. Dispensing opticians Robert Ogg and Tom Weatherley, and optometrist Matt Thornton, who all work at the Bolton and Middlebrook stores, are tackling peaks including Scafell Pike and the Great Gable, to raise money for men’s cancer charity, Balls to Cancer.
Matt Thornton, store director at Specsavers Bolton, confirmed that his team are already more than three-quarters of the way to their £500 target, and hope to see it rise as they clock up the miles this weekend.
200,000 men a year are diagnosed with cancer in the UK, killing 10 men an hour, while one in two men will suffer cancer in their lifetimes. Since 2011, Balls to Cancer has helped support sufferers and families dealing with cancer, aiming to help men discuss the topic comfortably and openly. The charity aims to make both men and women more aware of the dangers of cancer and to help men help themselves.
Matt Thornton says: “We wanted to raise money for Balls to Cancer in light of two colleagues, both only in their 30s, who were recently diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer. The disease affects over 2,000 men every year but thanks to research funded by cancer charities such as Balls to Cancer, the success rate in treating it can be high.”
The team will ascend over 1,000 metres during their 20km route, and the team hopes to take their fundraising efforts to new heights as a result. “In order for continued research to improve treatments, further fundraising is vital, so please, if you’re reading this, please find us on Facebook and give what you can to sponsor our charity trek to support this valuable cause,” adds Thornton.
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/matthew-thornton5