Registration is open for Aberdeen’s ever-popular Santa Run, which this year invites four-legged friends to join in on the fun.
Organised by local charity Charlie House in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, the Santa Run raises vital funds to support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and will take place on Sunday, November 17, at 5:25pm.
Kicking off Aberdeen’s Christmas parade celebrations, the run will see participants tackle a 1km route starting from Holburn Junction, heading down Union Street, onto Union Terrace, past His Majesty’s Theatre and finishing outside the Aberdeen Art Gallery, where they will receive their medals.
Open to all abilities, including wheelchair users, participants must be aged 16 or over to register themselves. Those aged 15 and under must be registered and accompanied by an adult throughout the event.
Santa suits and bib numbers for attendees, as well as festive hats for participating pooches, can be collected from the check-in station at Fountainhall Church, formerly known as Queens Cross Church, Albyn Place, from 3:30pm until 5pm on Sunday, November 17, 2024.
Ticket prices start at £10 for children and wheelchair users, £15 for adults and £7 per pup. Full details on ticket options for families and four-legged friends are available on the Charlie House website.
Charlie House event organiser, Katie Bremner, said: “We’re so excited for this year’s Santa Run! What better way to start your Christmas festivities than by dressing up as Santa and running through the city centre with your family and friends! It is important to us at Charlie House that our activities and events are accessible to all and the Santa Run is the perfect event for all abilities and the whole family to enjoy.
“Our mascot Charlie Dog is especially excited for the Santa run as, for the first time, we’re inviting four-legged friends to join in the fun! Every penny raised by our Santa Claus and Santa Paws will go towards providing essential support and services for families across the North-east.”
She added: “We believe in creating special memories to cherish especially at Christmas time. It is a sad reality that for some of the children we support, it may be their last Christmas. We are encouraging as many people as possible to sign up to take part to help spread awareness and raise funds for our vital work of supporting families when they need us most.”
Aberdeen Lord Provost, Dr David Cameron said: “The Charlie House Santa Fun Run is an event I look forward to every year as it helps mark the start of the festive events programme in Aberdeen. The event attracts hundreds of participants and is the ideal start to our much-loved Christmas parade, and both events are always well supported by the thousands of people who take to the streets to watch the spectacle.
“Charlie House does some great work across our city and the surrounding region – their support is a vital lifeline to so many families who benefit from their help. It is therefore extremely important that we continue to support events like the Santa Fun Run, to allow Charlie House to continue delivering their much-needed resources and services to improve the lives of children and their families.
“I would encourage anyone who is willing to pull on a Santa suit to sign up and take part – your support will be very much appreciated!”
Charlie House is an Aberdeen-based charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families in the North-east of Scotland.
It delivers inclusive and accessible activities for families enabling them to engage socially, make memories and meet other families in similar situations, and also provides information as well as emotional and practical support for the whole family.
To register for the Santa Run 2024 or donate and support the work of Charlie House, please visit: https://www.charliehouse.org.uk/events/santa-run-2024