Children are being encouraged to register for the first ever ‘Sure Fairy Dash’, which is taking place next month in Douglas. All of the money raised at the event will go towards ‘Project Dolphin’, the wish being granted by Sure through the Manx-registered charity, ‘Wish Upon A Dream’.

The ‘Sure Fairy Dash’ will take place on Saturday 20^th September on Douglas Promenade. It begins at 11.30am, following signing-on at 11am, and each race will be started by the Sure-sponsored racing duo of Ballaugh double World Enduro Champion, David Knight, and Jurby’s five-time TT winner, Nick Crowe. It is a fun event for children, and is similar to the adult-only ‘Bra Dash’ and ‘Santa Dash’, two famous events that take place annually in the Isle of Man.

There will be four race categories – girls and boys aged six to eight, and girls and boys aged nine to 11. There will be other fancy dress categories for children to enter, including one for youngsters under the age of six. The best dressed fairy or elf in each race category will also win a prize, with an overall prize on offer for the individual who raises the most sponsorship money.

Children will be encouraged to dress as fairies or elves, and collect individual sponsorship for their race. They course runs from the TT Stop Café to the War Memorial on Douglas Promenade. The number of places in the ‘Sure Fairy Dash’ is limited to 100, so parents are being asked to register their youngsters now. You can download an entry form by logging onto www.surecw.com, or www.wishuponadream.co.uk.

Sure is working with ‘Wish Upon A Dream’ over the next 12 months to help give a very sick little boy living in the Isle of Man an experience he will never forget. The eight year old suffers from cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy, and wants to go on a sunshine break where he will be able to spend some quality time with his family. The wish has been code-named ‘Project Dolphin’.

Wish Upon A Dream was set up in the summer of 2007 by Santon-based Lesley Turnbull, to grant wishes for children living on the island who suffer from serious or life-limiting illnesses. The inspiration for the charity is very personal to her, having lost her first daughter to a childhood illness.

Wishes are assessed by the charity board when they come in, and granted if suitable. So far, Wish Upon A Dream has helped 12 children, and is waiting to grant a further five wishes, including installing a hydrotherapy pool at the home of a little boy who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, and sending a little girl who is recovering from cancer to Lapland to meet Father Christmas.

In its first year of operation, Sure has already donated approximately £100,000 to charities, sponsorships and community investment programmes in the Isle of Man. The ‘Sure Fairy Dash’ follows on from Sure’s ‘Fairy Friday’ earlier this month, which raised more than half of the target for ‘Project Dolphin’.

Sure’s Marketing Manager, Julie Heselton, says she’s delighted to be supporting such a worthwhile charity: “The team here at Sure believe it’s vitally important to be an active part of the community in which we live and work, and getting involved with Wish Upon A Dream is the perfect way to be able to give something back and make a difference."

“Some of the wishes the charity has received are heartbreaking, and it’s really eye-opening to see how brave some of these youngsters are."

“The ‘Sure Fairy Dash’ will be lots of fun for children, and mums and dads are welcome to join in too! Events like the Bra Dash and the Santa Dash are always really popular but are obviously for adults, so this is our way of allowing youngsters to have some fun whilst at the same time raising money for a fantastic cause."

“We’re really excited at the prospect of working with ‘Wish Upon A Dream’ on ‘Project Dolphin’. If we can help to put a smile back on this little boy’s face, it will be worth it.”

Lesley Turnbull, founder of Wish Upon A Dream, is delighted to be receiving Sure’s backing. She said: “Without support from companies like Sure, there is no way we would be able to grant wishes that really do make a huge difference to the quality of life of the youngsters we help, and I’m so grateful."

“The little boy Sure is helping to send on holiday has been through so much in such a short space of time, and touches the hearts of everyone who meets him. This will really give him an experience he will never forget.”