Seven-mile car carry in memory of popular Houghton gym-goer - funds will go to Sunderland's St Benedict's Hospice

A popular gym-goer will be honoured with a seven-mile car carry this weekend.

Chris Mordey, 59, from Houghton, was a regular at Evolution Fitness with daily early morning sessions making him part of the fitness community.

Devastated by his death in February, just seven weeks after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, his friends are now rallying round to raise funds for St Benedict's Hospice in Ryhope to help others in need of palliative care.

This Saturday, March 16, they will set off from Cherry Blossom Way, carrying the car seven miles to the gym in Newbottle Street, Houghton, with teams of four taking it in turns to lift and walk with the vehicle.

Micky Donkin from the gym said: "Chris was a highly-respected member of the community and we wanted to do something to honour him.

"We thought of doing a generic coffee morning, but thought this car carry was a unique opportunity to raise funds for the hospice.

"The car we're carrying is a model car, but we still believe it weighs around 150kg, we're going to try and get it on the weighbridge to find out. We think it was the concept car for the Nissan Juke. But because of that, the wheels don't turn which means we will have to lift it clear of the ground and carry it all the way."

Self-employed Chris, who had no family locally, was cared for in his final weeks by his close friends Kevin Stammers and Val Manghan.

Kevin said: "Chris was so well-known and well-liked in Houghton. He was always smiling, even in his final days.

"He was a really tall guy, with hands like shovels, but he was a real gentle giant with a wonderful sense of humour."

Val said: "He made a lot of friends at the gym who thought a lot of him and, although Chris didn't make it to the hospice and was very well cared for at Sunderland Royal instead, it's great they want to do this to help others.

"At Chris' funeral, we also asked for donations to the hospice."

Only part funded by the NHS, the hospice relies heavily on fundraising for its registered charity to be able to continue its care provision, including specialist palliative care.

Money raised through its charity shops and fundraising events is essential for it to be able to continue helping patients and their families.

The route and donations

Anyone who would like to cheer on the team and donate to the St Benedict's buckets, can follow the route here:

The team will set off from Cherry Blossom Way at 8.30am on Saturday, heading over onto the Pattinson Industrial Estate following the route towards the A195 before briefly using the A195 but turning left onto Biddick Lane down to Fatfield Bridge to cross the River Wear. 

Once on the South Side of the river, they will head through Mount Pleasant, turning left onto Station Road through Penshaw onto the Shiney Row Roundabout, picking up and following the A182 through Philadelphia to Evolution Fitness 24 hour Gym on Newbottle Street in Houghton around midday.

Taking selfies with the team or the car is welcomed while passing or at one of the break points. Cakes and coffee are welcomed to keep their energy levels high. You can also donate on the JustGiving page.