Kevin Sinfield vows to ‘carry on operating’ till MND centres are arrange throughout the UK
Charity hero Kevin Sinfield has vowed to keep going with his fundraising efforts until centres are set up across the UK to help tackle Motor Neurone Disease
People’s Knight Kevin Sinfield is set to carry on his fundraising marathon to set up motor neurone disease centres across the UK.
The selfless star has run seven ultra-marathons in seven days for the past six years to raise more than £11m to combat the condition since his late Great Britain and Leeds Rhinos team mate Rob Burrows was diagnosed.
His latest gruelling near 200-mile slog a fortnight ago brought in £1.4m.
Kevin, 45, is already planning a seventh slog next year to match the No7 Rob wore on his shirts before his death last year aged 41 from the degenerative nerve condition which causes muscle weakness, stiffness and paralysis.
Sinfield’s cash helped build the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease in Leeds which provides sufferers with care and support while advancing research to find a cure.
The world-leading HQ – opened by the Prince of Wales last month – is the only one of its kind in the UK.
Though Kevin believes it is fitting his multiple marathon treks should end after the seventh he has vowed to carry on raising cash for the rest of his life.
We can reveal that money is likely to go towards setting up a network of similar centres across the country.
Rob’s dad Geoff said it is ‘not going to be a disease that is ignored’ and called for more similar facilities for sufferers’ to open up across the UK.
He said he will ‘support any fundraising campaign’ and – though he accepts the NHS does not have the cash for such projects – he said his son had ‘made the impossible possible’.
Geoff tweeted: “It was a dream for Rob and many doubted it was possible but Rob made the impossible POSSIBLE.
“I/we would support any fundraising campaign.
“We need a Rob Centre for MND in different parts of the UK. “If you could see the difference and the services it can provide – changing the MND landscape from ‘No Hope’ to ‘HOPE’.
“I would support any fundraising campaign because the NHS can’t afford it.
“MND is not going to be a disease that is ignored.”
Kevin – now an England rugby union coach – has already pledged to carry on his fund-raising campaign telling supporters after his last run they must keep ‘fighting’.
He said while they may have ‘won the battle’ by raising at least one-and-a-half times the cash target he set himself ahead of his latest multiple marathon adventure ‘there is a war to be won’.
Kevin said the group of around 8,000 Brits battling the condition was an ‘absolutely beautiful community’.
“They are the best of us. They are warriors and they fight so hard. They are so courageous,” he said.
“We’ve got to keep fighting for the MND community.”
Nearly 100,000 people have joined the Daily Star in calling for Kevin to get a knighthood for his extraordinary efforts when the New Year’s Honours list is revealed next week.
Darts ace Luke Littler, 18, has given the gong his backing after donating thousands of pounds of his winnings to the cause.
While TV presenter Piers Morgan, House of Commons’ speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Rob’s widow Lindsey have also joined the campaign.
