The Pink Ladies’ Tractor Road Run is set to return this year as the event races towards a fundraising total of £1m.
Marking its 20th anniversary next month, a convoy of more than 100 decorated tractors swathed in pink will snake its way through south Norfolk and north Suffolk.
To date, the event has raised £896,000 in aid of Cancer Research UK’s breast cancer appeal and this year the Pink Ladies hope to raise the £104,000 needed to reach £1m.
Organiser Annie Chapman said: "There is a great air of excitement about the run this year, a real buzz.
“I have received above the average number of entries for this time of the year including quite a few new ones.
“There is a determination to get that million!"
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Nineteen-year-old Ebony Ayton took part in the run for the first time last year and is one of the youngest to have done so.
The event is an integral part of her family’s life as her grandmother, Pam, has taken part in every run since it began in 2004 and her mother, Jo, is also a stalwart participant.
Miss Ayton said: "I’ve watched the run for years but being behind the wheel is a different experience.
"I will always take part in it, it’s too much fun to stop and the reasons behind it are always going to be important.
"To anyone who is thinking of taking part, don’t hesitate to fill out the form.
"If it’s a tractor you’re worried about then there’s always people willing to put their tractors forward. And if you’re scared, the support you’re given is like no other.
"There is no doubt we will get to £1m. We are all totally motivated and with the incredible support in our community we will smash it.”
Each year about a quarter of the ladies taking part are new to the event – with many having never driven a tractor before.
One of this year’s first timers is Kate Royall.
She said: "As a spectator for many years, I have witnessed the crowd-lined routes. I’ve met the ladies, their friends and families and heard their inspiring and heartbreaking stories.
"I’ve seen people along the route dressed in head-to-toe pink, cheering, clapping and crying in support - in towns, villages, laybys and gardens. I’ve seen the houses and businesses bedecked in pink bunting, banners and flags.
"I’ve witnessed it all first-hand but being part of the run and driving through the waves of support will be something else entirely.
"The run does so much more than raise vital funds, it creates a support network for so many, brings light and laughter to people at times when there may be little, raises awareness and, just maybe, makes women check their breasts for anything out of the ordinary."
Last year 112 tractors took place and were greeted by thousands of supporters who had turned out along the route. A total of £84,000 was raised that year, a record for a single year of fundraising.
The route starts at Thorpe Abbotts airfield before heading through Thorpe Abbotts, Brockdish, Upper Weybread, Harleston, Redenhall, before returning to Thorpe Abbotts airfield heads through Pulham St Mary, Rushall, and Langmere Green.
- Donations for this year’s event can be made via https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/unite/pink-ladies-tractor-road-run-2023
- The 2023 Ladies’ Tractor Road Run takes place on Sunday, July 2. For more information about the event please visit www.ladiestractorroadrun.co.uk
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