Anyone who has seen Derek Haines out running will wonder if he is in severe pain. Bent over as if his back is in spasms, the ungainly style belies the fact that even at 62 he is an accomplished long-distance runner who will run faster than many half his age in the Cayman Marathon on 5 December.
Haines, a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and current president of the Cayman Rugby Union, will run the 26.2 miles not just for personal satisfaction, but also to raise funds to put toward buying a bus for Special Olympics athletes and youth rugby development.
A new bus is vital for the transportation of the athletes to training sessions as the present one is old, keeps breaking down and is unreliable, which causes disruption to training schedules.
Haines has run numerous marathons, with his fastest time being under 3 hours, his slowest 4 hours 42 minutes at last year’s race, and his best Cayman finish was sixth in 2005. For every $25 pledged, a sponsor can have a guess at the time he will finish this year’s race, with the closest getting a grand prize of six bottles of champagne plus a $250 rugby club bar tab and a second prize of a $250 rugby club bar tab. (DOTC – Dead on the Course can also be a guess!)
A company can buy an advertising panel on the bus for $5,000. Haines said: “This will be an excellent PR tool for a company as it will be associated with a very good cause with no further outlay for the lifetime of the bus. Only eight panels will be sold and companies buying in can be assured of exclusivity in their trade or business. Seven have been purchased – from DART, Scotiabank, PriceWaterhouseCooper, the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Davenport, Gaelic Football and Esso Standard Oil SA Ltd Cayman. “We are also putting in two teams from Camana Bay (DART1 and DART2) and I will run the first leg for DART1 and then continue. I have run over 1,700 miles this year training for this race, so I’m hoping to get round in one piece. The charities being supported are most worthwhile and I will be very grateful for any support that people and companies can give.
“Our team members will also be collecting pledges, and a colleague, Naomi Mitten, a volunteer coach for Special Olympics, will be running the first leg for DART2 and then completing her first ever half marathon also to raise funds for Special Olympics and youth rugby. The bus will cost around $40,000 and will have wheelchair capability. I urge companies not to miss this opportunity to support local charities and benefit from the long term PR exposure.”
Pledges can be made via email to Haines at [email protected], John Felder at [email protected], Mitten at [email protected], or to any member of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, in person at the rugby club or to any member of the Special Olympics Committee.
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