A TRIP to France will be made a little chillier for one Earley resident this week when he shaves his beard off for charity.
Martin Clement, 43, has been growing the beard since February this year after deciding to raise money for Marie Curie in memory of his mother. Now, after four months of growth, he plans to shave the beard off at the world-famous Le Mans 24-hour race in France this week.
Martin, who is a business development director, said: “My life changed so much in December 2015, when my mum was diagnosed with advanced and aggressive pancreatic cancer.
“The support and care that Marie Curie gave was vital during this time and I really wanted to give something back. I’m a huge petrol-head and a group of us take the trip to Le Mans each year to watch the historic race.
“I can’t bake, run far or jump out of planes for a sky dive, so I thought what about just stopping shaving and join the trendy youth of today and grow a big ginger beard, which I will ‘shave off’ on the day of the 24 hour race.
“I’m a middle-aged man now who should probably know better than trying to stay in touch with the young trendy crowd of today, and it’s safe to say the last few months have been a very itchy affair.
“I lost my mum on February 5 this year, just three days after joking with her about how I could do something for charity – this disease waits for no-one and we must continue supporting such wonderful charities such as Marie Curie.”
At the time of going to press, Martin had raised an incredible £2,026 for the charity.
Fiona Turner, Marie Curie Community Fundraiser for Berkshire, added: “This is a brilliant idea to raise funds for Marie Curie and is a lovely way for Martin to give something back to the charity following the support his Mum received from our nurses.
“Marie Curie Nurses work night and day, in people’s homes, providing hands-on care and vital emotional support, and the Marie Curie hospices offer specialist round-the-clock care. We really appreciate all the effort Martin has put in and look forward to seeing the pictures.”
The money raised from the challenge will help Marie Curie provide expert care, guidance and support for people living with a terminal illness, and their families, to help them make the most of the time they have together.
For more information about Martin’s challenge and to donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/Martin-Clement.
