Ten Surrey superheroes take to the road for the Royal Marsden in Ali’s big ride!

In December 2009, Surrey schoolboy Alastair Burnett tragically died of a rare and aggressive form of leukemia, aged only six years old. He was a brave and incredible little boy who impressed everyone he met with his courage, his desire for life and his brilliant sense of humour. Despite a gruelling bone marrow transplant and nearly a year of intensive chemotherapy, Alastair retained his determination and optimism throughout, which was perfectly summed up in one of his favourite catchphrases - ‘Life is life, you just have to get on with it!’.

In his memory, Alastair's father and nine of his local friends and family are undertaking an amazing fundraising adventure in the form of a cycle ride from John O'Groats to Lands End. Travelling 866 miles in ten days, our Surrey superheroes will be dressed as some of Alastair's favourite superheros, Batman, Power Ranger, Captain Underpants, Zorro!  [See photo attached!] The aim is to raise money for the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton which afforded Alastair and his parents such wonderful love and care during his long illness. The target is to raise £25,000, enough to make a difference to many children's lives.

 Raising vital funds for the Royal Marsden will enable others to benefit from their research skills, facilities and care, thereby enhancing the lives of other children battling leukaemia. The superheroes want to buy new laptops for children to use during the lengthy transplant process and pay for skype connections to the childrens' schools which they can use if they aren’t well enough to attend school in person. Using a skype connection enabled Alastair to keep in touch with his classmates, to join in with lessons, answer questions and chat to the children and teachers, something which he really enjoyed and which gave him a much-needed morale boost.

You can find out more about Alastair, the superheroes, and the Royal Marsden charity at  www.alisbigride.co.uk.