CANCER Research UK is urging everyone who took part in Race for Life 2009 to make one last dash for cash – to collect and return their sponsorship money and help the charity hit its fundraising target of £600,000.

An incredible 9,500 women and girls walked, jogged or ran the 5k Race for Life course around Southampton Common on July 12.

Hannah White, manager of the Southampton event, said: “We are really grateful to the women who helped make Race for Life such a huge success.

“The atmosphere on the day was electric. It was incredibly emotional seeing all the ‘back-signs’ showing why women were taking part – in memory or celebration of a loved one or to mark their own cancer journey. And it was also remarkably uplifting, seeing so many mums, daughters, grandmothers, sisters and friends come together for one cause – to beat cancer.

“By taking part, they pledged their support to help fund research into a disease that one-in-three people in the UK will develop at some stage in their lives.

“Now we are asking them to keep that promise and help Cancer Research UK continue its life-saving work by returning their sponsorship money as soon as possible.”

Your funds – whether it’s £2 or £200 – could make a real difference to people’s lives.

“More people are beating cancer than ever before,” said Hannah.

“Survival rates have doubled over the last 30 years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress.

“But despite improvements in treatment, one in four people in the UK will die from the cancer. We want to change that and save many more lives over the next decade.

To do this we need everyone who took part in Race for Life to help us raise as much money as possible.”

For information on returning sponsorship money, or to make a donation, visit raceforlife.org.