Pancreatic Cancer Action partners with Aintree Racecourse and Betway to help raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer at this year’s Randox Health Grand National Festival
Pancreatic Cancer Action has partnered with Aintree Racecourse and Betway to help raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer at this year’s Randox Health Grand National Event.
Horse No.25, Highland Lodge, will be racing in a unique red saddlecloth in honour of the charity, in an effort to encourage people to find out more about the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer and in turn change the odds of survival.
Pancreatic cancer suffers from a chronic lack of awareness – with a recent survey, carried out by Pancreatic Cancer Action, revealing that over 70 per cent of the public know little to nothing about pancreatic cancer.
In the UK, over 9,000 people are newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, with incidence increasing from the age of 45. Just 5% of patients survive diagnosis for five years or more – the worst survival rate of all 22 common cancers, and a figure that has seen little improvement in over four decades.
Chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer Action and rare survivor of the disease, Ali Stunt said : “Despite the increasingly high rate of pancreatic cancer in the UK, survival rates of pancreatic cancer remain at a standstill. We need to ensure better recognition of common symptoms in order to secure earlier diagnosis of this deadly disease, and improve survival rates.”
With the support of official sponsor Randox Health, Pancreatic Cancer Action hope to capitalise on the Grand National’s high media footprint, with last year’s viewing figures for the Grand National on C4 peaking at 10 million.
John Baker, managing director at Aintree racecourse commented “We are delighted to be supporting such a fantastic cause and hope that the charity can raise as much awareness as possible around the Randox Health Grand National. We will all be keeping an eye out for Highland Lodge.”
Betway will also be supporting the charity with a £500 each way bet on Highland Lodge, 25/1, best odds guaranteed, 6 places.
Betway’s Alan Alger commented: “This is an incredibly important cause and we were only too happy to do our bit by offering a free £500 each-way bet on number 25, Highland Lodge. Hopefully the bet can produce a nice return and earn some decent money for Pancreatic Cancer Action.”