Support my unusual charity football feat (From Basildon Recorder)

Dad-of-three kicking ball 26 miles to West Ham United

5:00pm Wednesday 26th August 2009 in News By James Colasanti

A DAD-of-three will dribble a football from south Essex to West Ham United’s ground in east London to raise cash for a children’s charity.

Chris Rowe, 40, from Prower Close, Billericay, will set off from Barleylands, Billericay, at 6am to complete the route to Upton Park.

On arrival, he will hand the ball over to the Hammers midfield ace Mark Noble prior to the team’s evening kick-off with Premier League giants Liverpool at 5.30pm on Saturday, September 19.

Chris, a banking business manager, hopes his exploits will raise thousands of pounds for the Richard House children’s hospice in Beckton, east London, while boosting the coffers at the Forest Glade youth football team, where he volunteers as a coach.

He said: “I’m sure I’ll get a few funny looks along the way as people stop to look at the idiot trying to keep the ball on the pavement!”

Club members of the Forest Glade under-13 football team – including Chris’s sons Sam, 14, and James, 12, and daughter Michelle, ten – will be supporting the fundraiser with their own ‘Dribblethon’, on September 5.

About 80 youngsters will dribble footballs around a course at Barleylands to replicate the 26-miles which Chris hopes to cover in his fundraiser.

To sponsor Chris, visit www.justgiving.com/london dribblethon or to sponsor Forest Glade FC go to www.justgiving.com/londondribblethon-fgfc.

Companies can sponsor a patch on Chris’s football by logging on to www.londondribblethon.org.uk Youngsters can also enter a free prize draw on the website to win football coaching sessions at the David Beckham Academy, in Greenwich, south London.