Gratitude is gruelling affair

May 26 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

STAFF AT Stockton’s Mincoff Jacksons went the extra mile to raise £2,750 for the haematology department at County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Fifteen employees of the law firm took part in the Helly Hansen adventure triathlon held in the Lake District in March, which saw five teams of three competing over a gruelling course, which involved 10km of off-road running, 25km of mountain biking and 1.5km of kayaking.

The money raised was to thank the haematology department, which took care of one of the team members during an illness last summer.

Alistair Smith, an associate solicitor in the employment law team, was struck down by ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura), a serious condition in which the body attacks the platelets in the blood.

However, thanks to the expert care he received, Alistair has now made a full recovery.

“Having been lucky enough to make a full recovery, I wanted to show my appreciation to the staff by raising some money to help them with the wonderful job that they do,” he said.

“We were thrilled to be able to take part in such an exciting and enjoyable event.

“At the same time, we have been able to make things a little better for haematology patients and to help the staff with the professional and excellent job they do in caring for those patients.”

The “adventure triathletes” at Mincoff Jacksons took part in an intensive four-month training programme before the competition, with competitors ranging in fitness levels and experience when they began.

Having enjoyed the challenge in March, they plan on taking part in similar events in the future.