Kempston firefighter raised £2k for lifesaving charities that helped him after surgery
A serving firefighter based at Kempston Fire Station has raised £2,000 following a charity fundraiser.
Jack Goodwin, 31, was raising vital funds to support The Fire Fighters Charity and Bedford Hospital Charity - two organisations that played a key role in Jack’s robotic-assisted surgery at Bedford Hospital and his subsequent recovery.
Jack, who is also a member of Bedford and County Athletic Club, organised the event taking on fellow Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service colleagues last Saturday, July 26.
Jack raced multiple relay teams over a 5km distance at Bedford Athletic Stadium. It was a hard run race, with Jack being narrowly pipped to the post by Beds south relay team.
Jack said: “The event went surprisingly smoothly, and it seemed like everyone had a good time! I really appreciate all the support from the runners, spectators and donators.
“Being a competitive person, I wanted to win, but the Beds south team were a class act. With less than 50 seconds separating all of us, it was an interesting race to be a part of, and great for the spectators to watch.
“The most important part was the biggest success; we hit our target on raising over £2,000.”
Jack hopes to run a similar event next summer as he continues to support the two charities that have had such a big impact on him.”
Funds raised will be distributed to The Fire Fighters Charity, which helps UK fire service personnel recover physically and mentally, and Bedford Hospital Charity, which helped fund the robotic surgical arms used in over 1,000 successful operations at Bedford and Luton & Dunstable Hospitals.