How you can ensure charity champ wears Sunderland AFC dress for his next challenge

Colin Burgin-PlewsColin Burgin-Plews
Colin Burgin-Plews
A charity champion is ready to cross the Tyne-Wear football divide for his next mission - and pound the streets of Sunderland in a red and white dress.

Colin Burgin-Plews is the unmissable, larger-than-life character known as the Big Pink Dress after the costume he wears for charity runs.

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Now the 48-year-old Newcastle United fan says he is happy to run next year's Sunderland 10K in a red-and-white dress honouring the Black Cats if he reaches his fundraising target.

Colin will wear the colours of his arch rivals on the run next May if he raises £500 or more for Breast Cancer Now.

Once the money is raised, Colin will make the dress and hopes to have the SAFC badge on his outfit.Colin, a care home chef from South Shields, said: "I never understood the whole physical fighting side to the rivalry. Already, I've had an awful lot of support from Sunderland fans."The people from the Stadium of Light even messaged me with support.

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"It has been such a lovely reception from the fans, and if I hit £2,000 pounds, I will go to a Sunderland match in the dress."I have been raising money now for breast cancer charities for a while now, and I want to raise as much as humanly possible. It was brilliant doing the Sunderland 10K last year.""I try to do all the local ones because I love the atmosphere. I have been all down the country to run and there is nothing like the North East for their crowds."He is determined to continue running for charities into 2018, despite an upcoming operation on a tendon in one of his legs."It will take six to eight weeks. I will need to train and get back into it," he added.Colin said that after raising £10,000 doing the Great North Run on numerous occasions, an inspirational call from a supporter spurred him on to make his fundraising bigger and bolder.In 2018, he plans to run 1,000 miles, passing by every single Premier League football club. He will design and make a dress for every club, and plans to raise for three different charities at once.To donate to his Sunderland 10K challenge and help ensure Colin wears red and white on the day, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bigsafcdress