Christ Church Alumna Keta Hansen (1989, Chemistry) was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2014 and passed away in 2019. Her husband, Kevin Street (Engineering, 1989), and their two daughters participate regularly in events to raise money to fight this awful disease.

In August, Kevin and their two daughters, Hebe and Violet, together with Neil and Matt (Kevin’s brother and schoolmate) are embarking on Keta’s Journey – The 47 Peaks, a new fundraising challenge to raise money for MNDA. They aim to climb 47 peaks in Snowdonia in 5 days – one peak for each year of Keta’s life.

This follows on from the hugely successful Keta’s Journey in 2019 when they walked 352 miles in 15 days from Hartlepool (Keta’s hometown) to Godalming (where she sadly died in 2019) via Christ Church (where Keta & Kevin met) and Battersea (where Hebe & Violet were born), enjoying widespread media coverage through National press, TV and social media which helped them raise over £100k.

Keta’s Journey – The 47 Peaks promises to be another huge but rewarding challenge for a fantastic cause. There is still no proper understanding of the cause of MND, let alone a cure for this devastating disease that affects 1 in 300 in the UK. The estimated prevalence has increased materially in recent years owing to significantly better diagnosis and awareness, particularly in the elderly. However, there is much optimism amongst the medical research and MND community that major progress is being made and a breakthrough imminent; but it all costs money, which is where they and hopefully the Christ Church Community come in.

Kevin and his team are looking for 47 Corporate Sponsors, one to support the climbing of each peak. The suggested donation per sponsor is £500, although they very much welcome corporate generosity. The highest donation received will have the honour of sponsoring the climb of the highest peak, Snowdon, and will be advertised accordingly. The aim is to have sponsors in place by mid-July to enable names of those companies supporting the challenge to be incorporated into their marketing and social media activities, including advertising during the event itself. General advertising and fundraising via the JustGiving site will follow at the end of July.

If you are interested in being a Corporate Sponsor of Keta’s Journey – The 47 Peaks, please contact Kevin by emailing kevinpstreet1@gmail.com.