Brave people with a head for heights and the stamina to run up 16 flights of stairs are being invited to Park Regis Birmingham for an exhilarating fundraising challenge in aid of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.
The deluxe hotel and charity are joining forces for the second annual Fright or Flight challenge on Friday 16th February, which will see individuals tackle a 48-metre abseil down the exterior of the Broad Street hotel before racing up 16 flights of stairs to the Sky Bar on the top floor.
A live leaderboard will post competitors’ times when they reach the bar, where they will be greeted with a glass of bubbly to celebrate their achievement.
Last year’s Fright or Flight sponsored event raised over £14,500 for the Hospice after dozens of city professionals signed up to brave the challenge – and Rebecca Delmore, group sales director at Park Regis, said she hoped to top the 2016 total.
“This was definitely one of our fundraising highlights last year so we’re only too pleased to host the challenge again for such a worthy charity that works tirelessly to help terminally ill people have as comfortable and dignified end of life as possible,” she said. “We’re looking forward to welcoming as many teams as possible and would urge businesses, individuals and groups to sign up.”
All funds raised will go towards the Hospice, which provides vital care and support to local families living with terminal illness.
Charlotte Anson, corporate partnerships manager at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Following last year’s fantastic fundraiser, it’s great to be back at Park Regis to host our Fright or Flight challenge, which is perfect for adrenaline junkies who want to take on colleagues and friends but in a daring way.
“Thank you to our corporate partner, Park Regis, for letting us host this challenge at their hotel. It costs £8 million to run our vital services every year and so we truly rely on the generosity of local people and businesses – like Park Regis – to ensure we can care for everyone that needs us, wherever they need us.
“Events like this can make a big difference to local families living with terminal illness and will help us to continue to provide our expert care at the Hospice, in people’s homes and in the local community.”
Following the popularity of last year’s event, interest in this year’s challenge is already running high, and Birmingham-based utilities payment company Glide wasted no time in signing up to take part.
“Never ones to shy away from a fundraising challenge, we’re excited to be taking part in Fright of Flight to raise money for such a fantastic local charity,” said Miles Tilley, HR manager for Glide. “Gliders are brave and adventurous, and we encourage them to work together, take themselves out of their comfort zone and to challenge themselves – both inside and outside of work.”
Glide provides bill sharing services, broadband deals and student utility bills to make it easier for student tenants to split the bills into one simple inclusive bill.
Miles added: “Based in Alpha Tower, we’ve already got a head for heights, but when the opportunity came up to take part in the challenge, we knew it was perfect for us!”
Fright or Flight is a unique challenge that can be completed solo or in teams of two – in which one person tackles the abseil whilst the other takes on the stairs.
To find out more about the challenge and to sign up click here