Marcus Eastman, who was recently named a Weston Community Champion, took on a ‘Memory Marathon’ on Wednesday, 21st June. Three generations of Eastman boys — Marcus (who’s in his 80s), Steve (Marcus’ son, who will be 56 in August) and Garry (Marcus’ grandson, who just turned 30) — travelled around Weston-super-Mare in memory of Jeanette, Marcus’ wife who was a hospice patient and died almost three years ago.

With Marcus in a wheelchair to add to the challenge, Steve and Garry took it in turns to run the length of the roughly 26-mile course. Followed by Mark in the support vehicle, the group called in at several locations along the way, including the hospice, Weston General, the Weston Football Club, Morrisons, Locking Castle Medical Centre, Muffins Cafe, the Century Club, Sweets and Things, Swallow Point Caravan Site, the Commodore Hotel, Nashley House residential home and the Grand Pier. Celebrations and parties were held along the way, with various supporters along the route to cheer them all on.

They hope to raise £3,000 from the event and associated activities, which include various parties and raffles at several of the pit stops along the way. Marcus and Steve have previously done a huge amount of fundraising for the hospice, holding events, parties, car boot sales, skittles matches and garden parties and raising nearly £7,000 in Jeanette’s memory.

Details of the route are on the following page, and we’re hoping to get people out at various points along the route to cheer him on. The trio will set off around 7:40 a.m. or so from the hospice in Uphill, and every stop is associated with a memory (whether that’s where Jeanette was card for, where Marcus eats his lunch regularly or where he used to call bingo twice a week). There have been lots of people involved in organising this, including Gooding Disability Services in Whitecross Road (who loaned the wheelchairs for the event).
‘Marcus is such a lovely guy and has so generously supported the hospice, so we’d love to share his story.’

The pre-event story can be found here: http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/family-to-complete-marathon-of-memories-for-weston-hospicecare-1-5069898

An update on the event can be found here: http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/family-sets-off-on-marathon-around-weston-for-hospice-1-5071131

The post-event article can be found here: http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/family-completes-memory-marathon-for-weston-hospicecare-1-5073616