Three Smarta Energy leaders, Kieran Dixon, Lee Jacques and Scott Birley, will leave the company's Garforth office at 2 am on Tuesday, 3rd November, for a 99km run and walk to Lapland Manchester at Capesthorne Hall.
Three Leeds business leaders have apparently decided that a sponsored bake sale would be far too sensible.
They will be supported throughout the challenge by Head of Marketing Lisa Benfield and Marketing Executive Lilly Black, who will travel alongside them in the support vehicle, coordinating checkpoints, supplies, safety and campaign updates along the route.
Thankfully, they are not attempting to reach Finland, much to Kieran's disappointment. The Group Managing Director originally suggested taking the challenge all the way to Finnish Lapland, before deciding that the money needed to get the team there would be far better placed in the Mission Christmas fundraising pot.
The trio will alternate between running and walking approximately 10km at a time, aiming to complete the route by 10 pm. That means up to 20 hours on the move, more than 60 miles covered and a considerable amount of time to question whose idea it was.
The Smarta Steps to Santa challenge is being undertaken in support of Cash for Kids' Mission Christmas appeal, which helps provide gifts for children and young people who may otherwise have nothing to open on Christmas morning.
Turning Miles Into Christmas Smiles
Smarta Energy is aiming to raise £10,000 through the challenge and its wider programme of Mission Christmas activities.
For many children and young people, Christmas can feel like another ordinary day, only with an added reminder of what their family cannot afford. Mission Christmas helps change that by distributing gifts to children experiencing hardship.
The appeal delivers more than something to unwrap. It gives children excitement, hope and the reassurance that somebody has thought about them.
Kieran Dixon, Group Managing Director of Smarta Energy, said:
There were certainly easier ways to raise money, but we wanted to do something ambitious enough to get people talking about Mission Christmas.
The challenge will be difficult, particularly as the miles begin to add up, but that is a small sacrifice compared with the pressures many families face at Christmas. If our slightly questionable decision encourages people to donate or share the campaign, it will be worth every step.
Kieran will be joined by Smarta Energy CEO Lee Jacques and Group Partnership Director Scott Birley.
Lee Jacques said:
Setting off from the office at two in the morning is not how I would usually choose to start a Tuesday, but this is a cause the entire team cares about.
Every donation will help Cash for Kids bring some Christmas magic to a child who might otherwise miss out. We hope the people and businesses of Leeds will get behind us and help us reach that £10,000 target.
Scott Birley added:
I am looking forward to being part of the challenge, although I may feel differently somewhere around 70km.
This is about bringing our colleagues, clients, partners and local community together behind something that genuinely matters. We want to turn each kilometre into more awareness and more support for Mission Christmas.
Leeds Businesses Invited to Step Up
Smarta Energy is inviting businesses and communities across Leeds to support the challenge.
There are several ways to get involved, including:
donating through the official fundraising page
sponsoring or fundraising around part of the route
displaying and sharing campaign materials
encouraging employees, clients and customers to contribute
sharing the challenge through social media
contacting Smarta Energy about safe, prearranged support along the route
Lisa Benfield, Head of Marketing at Smarta Energy, said:
The challenge may be led by Kieran, Lee and Scott, but the whole Smarta team is getting behind it. We would love to see other Leeds businesses join us, whether that means making a donation, sharing the story or finding their own way to support Mission Christmas.
It is an opportunity for our local business community to have a little fun, come together and help make Christmas brighter for children who need that support most.
The Leeds-to-Lapland fundraiser forms part of a wider programme of activities at Smarta Energy, including workplace gift collections, staff fundraising and volunteering with Cash for Kids.
Donations can be made on the Smarta Steps to Santa fundraising page. More information about the challenge can be found on the Smarta Energy website.
