One of Everton’s most important backroom employees has committed to running a “marathon of marathons” in order to raise money for the charity that has been instrumental in his brother’s cancer treatment. As a way to support Macmillan, Jack Dowling has set a goal for himself to complete 26 marathons in 26 weeks. His inspiration comes from his brother Tom as well as the organization supporting their family following their life-altering diagnosis of bowel cancer.
Supported by his teammates at Everton, such as captain and close friend Seamus Coleman, Jack intends to fit runs around his matchday responsibilities to highlight Macmillan’s crucial support. He is going to start Project 26:26 this weekend, following the Merseyside derby, which has always been a source of rivalry in the Dowling family’s Crosby home, as Tom is a devoted Red and Jack is a childhood Blue. The Dowling family was completely taken aback by Tom’s diagnosis.
He learned in the summer of last year and has since started a rigorous treatment program. The role Macmillan has played in helping Tom and others around him over the past 18 months, especially after he was informed that his cancer was terminal, has been indispensable. On Sunday, the inaugural marathon will get underway at Merchant Taylors in Crosby. Jack’s last run of the challenge will be at the London Marathon the following year. At that point, he will have covered just under 700 miles, which is the same distance as the trip from Liverpool to Berlin. Another important thing to Macmillan is the awareness he hopes to raise. The Alive Running Club in Sefton, which Jack supports, is run by Nicole McIlveen, the charity’s fundraising manager for Merseyside.
She said: “We wish Jack the best of luck for his incredible challenge, which will help us support other families affected by cancer.”. Almost all of Macmillan’s funding comes from donations made by our supporters; without the amazing work of fundraisers like Jack, we would not be able to support people. Macmillan is needed now more than ever because cancer is not going away. “.
