6 survivors to take part in Maccabi GB Community Fun Run for March of the Living

A delegation of six survivors is preparing to take part in Sunday’s Maccabi GB Community Fun Run to raise funds for March of the Living.

They are joining thousands of participants at Allianz Park to take part in the community’s largest sports fundraising event to raise funds for charities such as Jewish Care, JLGB, the Jewish Volunteering Network and others.

Survivors Harry Olmer, Mala Tribich, Eve Kugler, Alfred Garwood, Agnes Kaposi and Arek Hersh  will face the 1km route on Sunday.

They will be joined by a group of around 35 March of the Living alumni who have previously been on  Holocaust educational trips to Poland.

The delegation has raised over £2,300 on fundraising platform Total Giving to fund future trips so survivors can tell their stories, with donations ranging from £360 to £18.

Auschwitz Survivor Arek Hersh, who is travelling from Leeds with his wife Jean to take part in the walk, said: ” I’ve been going on march of the living for the last 7 years because I want young people to learn about our history and about the holocaust.

“As an Auschwitz survivor I want as many people to hear my testimony, so they can become witnesses.

I’m excited to take part in the walk to help raise money so the trips to Poland can continue.”

Meanwhile, 15 year-old Shimmy Bloch, from Edgware, who is profoundly deaf, will also be running 1km with his therapy dog Milo, the first canine to take part in the run.

Shimmy’s father Marc said: “We are running this week for GIFT, a very special charity who inspire and teach us how to be better people, shifting the focus from our self-centred focus world to a world where we focus on giving, rather than taking. We have been inspired by GIFT.”

The teen, who is raising funds on the platform Just Giving, has raised over £300 for GIFT, and is aiming to raise £1000.