Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 took London commuters by surprise as an unlikely cast of famous women recreated one of the most iconic movie posters of all time. The advert, recreating the infamous police line up used to promote the Oscar award winning movie – The Usual Suspects, features actress Lynda Bellingham, comedienne Amy Lamé, actress and breast cancer patient Rebekah Gibbs, Ruth Lorenzo from X Factor, actress Laila Morse, and ‘Green Goddess’ and breast and skin cancer survivor Diana Moran.
The poster is being used to promote the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, which highlights that every woman is invited to take part in the Race for Life series, whatever their age, shape, size and fitness level. The advert will appear in London Underground stations in a bid to underline that the 5k event is achievable for all women, especially as participants can either walk, jog or run the distance. All the women featured have their own connection to cancer, with the group including survivors of the disease and those with close relatives who have been affected by cancer.
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event, with women invited to walk, jog or run 5k at over 230 Race for Life events taking place across the UK this summer. The event, now in it’s 16th season, is hoping that 680,000 women will come together and help raise over £60 million to fund the charity’s life saving work into all forms of cancer.
Amy Lamé said –
It was great fun being part of the live advert with all the other women, and we want to show people that 5k is a perfectly achievable distance for every woman. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 is for every woman, because it’s not about how fit or young you are, it’s about taking part and raising money to beat cancer. Sadly many of my family members, including my mother, sister, aunts and grandmother have all been touched by cancer and I can’t wait to participate this year and I say to every woman out there – if I can do it, so can you!
Each Race for Life event covers a distance of 5k and Cancer Research UK is encouraging women of all ages and levels of fitness to participate. The charity has also set up a website where participants can learn more about the ambassadors and get hints and tips to prepare a Race for Life, which includes advice from Diana Moran and a regular training blog from Amy Lamé.
