Clarkston 10-year-old Zac Wright is running 100 miles to support Mary’s Meals

St Joseph’s Primary School pupil Zac Wright has been wearing out his trainers during lockdown to raise money for charity.
Zac Wright (10) has been putting in the miles to raise funds for Mary's Meals.Zac Wright (10) has been putting in the miles to raise funds for Mary's Meals.
Zac Wright (10) has been putting in the miles to raise funds for Mary's Meals.

He’s set himself the challenge of running 100 miles in 50 days, culminating on Sunday, July 12, when he’s planning a dramatic finish by running all the way to East Kilbride.

Zac is raising money for Mary’s Meals, a charity providing life-changing meals to some of the world’s poorest children.

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Initially, his target was to raise £238.50, which would feed 15 children for a whole school year as it costs £15.90 to keep a child from hunger for one year.

Zac is aiming to raise as much money as possible to help the charity feed as many children as possible.Zac is aiming to raise as much money as possible to help the charity feed as many children as possible.
Zac is aiming to raise as much money as possible to help the charity feed as many children as possible.

However, Zac has already smashed his target, raising more than £1000 – so the target now is to raise as much money as possible to feed as many chidlren as possible.

Zac said: “Being in quarantine has really boosted my running skills, so then I thought, why don’t I challenge myself to see how far I can run in a certain amount of time – and not only will I try my best to complete this challenge, it will all be for a good cause.

“The charity I have chosen is Mary’s Meals. Most people have heard of it, but I have noticed that lots of international charities seem to have been forgotten about because of all this confusion with Covid-19.

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“For the whole of my life, I have taken so many things for granted – education, food, water, and all a child’s daily needs.

“But one day when I was in school, a visitor from Mary’s Meals came to my school and told everyone all about all the people living in poverty and distress all around the world.

“I wanted to host a fundraiser for months, but I never got round to doing so, then I realised what better time was there to do a fundraiser for a charity than in its most desperate time of need?”

So that’s exactly what Zac has done, and his fantastic effort is making a life-changing difference to some of the poorest children in the world.

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Karen Gray, Director of Communications at Mary’s Meals UK, said: “It is wonderful to see our supporters going the extra mile to find new ways to raise funds for our work at this uncertain time.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic meaning children around the world have been learning at home instead of in the classroom, we have worked hard to adapt our programmes to ensure almost all the children who receive Mary’s Meals can eat at home instead.

“Thanks to the generosity of incredible people like Zac, we can ensure that these children will continue to receive their daily servings of Mary’s Meals – sometimes the only food they eat in a day.”

To support Zac’s fundraising efforts, go to Mary’s Meals: 100 miles in 50 days

About Mary’s Meals:

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• Mary’s Meals provides daily meals to children through school feeding programmes in 19 countries: Malawi, Liberia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Kenya, India, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Benin, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, Thailand, Ecuador, Niger, Madagascar and Romania.

• With the Covid-19 pandemic causing schools across the globe to close, Mary’s Meals has been quick to adapt by working with governments and local communities to ensure families can continue to feed their children at home. Despite the significant challenges caused by the pandemic, Mary’s Meals is still reaching almost all the children who rely on its meals – sometimes the only food they receive in a day.

• The coronavirus pandemic has meant many supporters have had to cancel their spring and summer charity fundraising plans. As lockdown restrictions gradually ease, allowing more flexibility for daily exercise, the charity is encouraging people to get active and make their miles count for Mary’s Meals.

• Mary’s Meals is encouraging supporters to set an exercise challenge and raise funds, by walking, running, or cycling, to help feed hungry children in some of the world’s poorest communities.

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• Mary’s Meals began in 2002 when Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow visited Malawi during a famine and met a mother dying from AIDS. When Magnus asked her eldest son, Edward, what his dreams were in life, he replied simply: “I want to have enough food to eat and to be able to go to school one day.”

• To find out more or to donate, please visit Mary’s Meals

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