Ad execs raise £12,000 for cancer care centre

A TEAM of advertising execs from Birmingham braved the roads of Europe for a 2,400-mile road trip in aid of a colleague with cancer.

The self-titled ‘Rebels with a Cause’ from McCann Erickson spent five days on Harley-Davidsons travelling from Birmingham and on through six countries before returning home.

In the process, they stopped off at the company’s offices in various European cities, collecting £12,000 for the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.

Their efforts were inspired by group account director Neil Rodgers who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

Chief executive Dean Lovett joined colleagues Stu Perry and Jamie Heath on the epic voyage which took in the France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy and included a stop off at the Cannes advertising festival along the way.

Mr Lovett said: “I didn’t truly appreciate how difficult this challenge would be.
“When I woke up on Tuesday I thought how on earth are we going to get through this? We were all exhausted and it was just the second day!

“Neil, who was the inspiration for this task, came along in our support car, along with his wife Lynda, and he kept morale high.

“The experience is something I will never forget, the scenery was stunning and the fundraising effort has been brilliant. I would like to thank everyone who has donated.”

Susan White from Marie Curie Cancer Care added: “The money raised by McCann Erickson is absolutely fantastic and will help us fund the new Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.”

• Anyone who would like to make a donation can still do so through visiting justgiving.com/7-5-1-charityroadtrip.

Picture from left: Stu Perry, Jamie Heath, Neil and Lynda Rodgers, and Dean Lovett.