In 2014 our beautiful strong courageous girl Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer which was in her lymph nodes too.  She has maintained a positive attitude throughout her ongoing treatment and has pledged to do at least 1 sporting event per month between March 2015 & 2016 with all funds going to Breast Cancer Care.  Along with her 'Army of Angels' these events will be completed, with no doubt fun laughter and tears along the way.  This page is the collective just giving page for a number of like minded people who are with Karen every step of the way.

First donation: 05/02/2015 ...... thank-you

Update: 28/02/2015 - first event completed in the rain.  The Blacklight Run.  A 5k in the dark where they throw neon paint at you.  Karen's first event in months.  Completed with style.  £335 raised by the conclusion of this event.  

Update:  19/03/2015 - 5k in Stafford organised on behalf of the retired police dogs trust.  Another charity close to Karen's heart.  Total now stands as £750.

Update:  29/03/2015 - not content with 12 events in 12 months, Karen decided today to sneak an EXTRA event in only 2 days after Chemotherapy!  St Giles Hospice Lichfield 5k.  Done! Total now stands at £913.  May have to review the initial target of £1000 as we still have lots more events to do.

Update 01/04/2015: Wow!  Just wow!  We have reached £1003 as of 01/04/2015 (no April fool!).  Target revised to £2000.  we like a challenge! 

Update: 02/04/2015 - brave old Griff had his (very hairy) chest waxed.  Raised over £400.  Page total stands at £1062 but Griffs £400+ needs to be added to that so grand total is now around £1462.

Update: 30/04/2015  - Mow Cop Killer Mile.  The hilliest hill in the world - wow that was tough! Total now stands at £1821.

Update: 05/05/2015 - Karen received a bravery award at work for the way in which she is facing her battle and inspiring people.  

Update: 10/05/2015 - Donna Louise 5km at Trentham Gardens.  karen ran all the way and even managed a sprint finish at the end!!! 

Update: 15/05/2015 - UNBELIEVABLE - we have topped our second target of £2000 today.  current total is £2080.  Thank you all so much.  Next stop / new target of £3000. 

Update: 24/04/2015 - Karen and the other  3 ladies doing the triathlon in July went on a breast cancer care triathlon training day at Eton Dorney.  A long day leaving home at 515am getting home at 930pm but she did it!! Current total is £2400.

Update: 28/05/15 - we have thrown in a cheeky little cake sale at work - money yet to go on - raised £904.09..... Total over £3500.  New target set at £5000 - lets challenge ourselves! 

Update: 31/05/15 - midland fun run - Karen managed to run all 8.5 miles 2 days post chemo.  Tam who until a few months ago had never ran completed it too.  Well done ladies.  New total £3777

Update: 04/06/2015 - Karens Story has been published by Staffordshire Newsletter today.  At the point of the story going out we now stand at £4000.  Hopefully as well as raising awareness of breast cancer - Karens story will bring in more donations for this fantastic charity.

Update:  07/06/2015 - Karen too part in the Belles of belvoir cyle event.  25 miles on a hot day with multiple cake stops!

Update:  race for life 09/06/15 - this was the biggest collection of angels in one place for any single event so far.  Karen formally opened the race with a sterling recital of her Poem 'Army of Angels'.  Grand total now stands at £4405.10

Update:  race for life pretty muddy trentham & rock n roll 5k in Liverpool 13/06/2015 - a few Angels took part in the pretty muddy atvtrentham and it lived up to its name.  Karen had a pang of being sensible for the first time since diagnosis, and decided not to do the rock n roll 5km.  We will let her off!  Other Angels did it though and have the medals to show for it! Total now £4475.10

Update:  ladies evening 15/06/2015 - The ladies had a fabulous night at la terrazza in rugeley.  The night raised a massive £1530, so our total is now over £6000.  Truly amazing!  New target set at £7500.

Update: 19/06/2015 - last chemo! 

Update: solstice walk 20/06/2015 a several 'fairies' walked through the night.  New total £6845.

Update: WOW!  Just WOW!  We made it - £7500 before the ladies only triathlon event next weekend.  Would it be too much to hope  to reach £8000 by next weekend which means Dawn Banks has to get inked despite her fear of needles?? 

Update:  Breast cancer care ladies only challenge 12/07/2015.  Karen and four other Angels took part in the super sprint triathlon.  400m swim, 21k bike and 5 k run.  One angel did a duathlon and another three did the relay triathlon.  A fabulous day at Eton Dorney.  Funds now stand at £8345.  Thank you so much.

Karen has surgery in just over 1 week so she is having a short break from events, but her Angels will still be marching on in the meantime.

Update: 22/07/2015  - Karen has now had her surgery.  Early indications are that it has gone well.  A double mastectomy with 4 sentinel nodes removed.  I have spoke to her this evening and other than being tired and a little sore, she sounds her normal chirpy self - which is a massive relief.  Hopefully she will be out of hospital tomorrow to start her recovery at home surrounded by her family and the love of all her friends.  As a gesture of solidarity and support for Karen, there was a little push on the fundraising last night whilst she was flying back from her short pre op break.  That raised another magnificent £765 - meaning the new total is £9220.  Thank you all for your generosity. 

Update: 19/08/2015 - Wow!  After an initial target of £1000 back in March we have just broken £10,000.  Totally unbelievable.  Karen has set the new target at £15,000

Update: a marvellous £400 has been added to the page in one donation as a result of Karen and her fellow Rehab friends raising money whilst at Goring, through belly dancing lessons, quiz nights etc.   Total now £10410.00

Update:  13/09/2015 - Great North Run.  A half marathon 7 weeks after a double mastectomy.  Dedicated or crazy - I'll let you decide!  Please donate what you can.  Chip time 3:00:34  Katys watch 2:52:00..... truly unbelievable!

Update: 09/10/2015 - Karens other half had his moustache shaved off all in the name of this charity! A huge deal if you know him and how much his face fur meant to him...... new total is now £11,735

Update: 31/10/2015 - some of the Angels and their other halves did the Parkinson's spooky sprint at the national water sports centre in nottingham.  Fancy dress in full flow.   Total now £12,130

Update:  11/12/2015 - the calendars are selling well and there have been a couple of festive runs in the last month.  A cake sale yesterday has brought in another £402.73 and we are also rad fling separately a beautiful Christmas cake.  The target of £15,000 is creeping closer. 

Update:  15/01/2106 - I've fallen behind a little with the updates, but, that said all the calendars got sold along with a number of marshmallow snowman thanks to Angel Hargreaves for tirelessly making 100 of the little blighters!! All of the above, combined with a very generous single cash donation on New Years Eve, that could've made a glass eye cry, we achieved our many ties revised target of £15,000 with only a few hours of 2015 to go..... so in true angel style, we have upped the target to £16,000.  There are a number of sporting events over the next few months so hopefully the £16,000 will be achieved before our year of fundraising ends.

Update 29/02/2016 - WOW what a year!  Just over a year ago this page was set up with a target of raising £1,000.  We are currently standing at £15.340 - how amazing is that?? Thank you to everyone who has ran, swam, baked, purchased and donated.  Without you this would not have been possible.  

The page is going to stay open as we have more events planned.  Please, please keep supporting this wonderful charity.  More and more friends are being diagnosed and need the support offered by Breast Cancer Care.  

Yesterday saw a few of the team running 10km around the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester for the Snowflake run.  Well done all!  

Update 18/03/2016 - Two days to go until a few of us brave 13.1 miles around the streets of sunny Stafford.... Please dig deep to help us help others 

Update 24/03/2016 - Stafford half done.  Easter cake sale done which raised £554 for breast cancer care and a further £110 for our local hospital haircwig & beauty salon for cancer patients.  Next stop London Marathon.  We are now up to £16,364.  New target to chase of £17,000.    

Update 22/04/2016 - just 2 days before the london marathon and we have done it!!!! £17,000...... Let's set ourselves a real challenge..... £20,000 anyone???

Update 14/11/2017 - There hasn't been an update for some time as you can see, as page owner I take full responsibility for that.  Needless to say since my last update over 18 months ago the team led by chief angel Karen have kept at the fundraising and have raised another £5,706.  And she still keeps going!!!!  The new target was set some time ago as £23,000 - a totally fictitious amount (or so we thought!)  Currently standing at £22,706 - just £294 short of the £23k target.  How amazing would it be to reach that target before christmas?  We've risen to the challenge before - and with Karen and Tracey signed up for the London Landmarks half marathon onMarch I can see a new target on the horizon - just maybe????  Not bad from wanting to raise £1000 at the start!!!

Update 17/04/2021

So there’s not been an update on this page for some time - our Chief Angel Karen has been going from strength to strength - up to her usual naughtiness, keeping fit, eating cake, working full time and really getting back into the throws of normality.  

Please help us help others like Karen by supporting us and this amazing charity.  🎀

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