Sunderland family take on Stadium of Light challenge in honour of uncle who lost his life to cancer

A father and son team are taking on a new running challenge in memory of a lost loved one.

George Fraser, 46 and his 10 year-old lad, also called George - a pupil at Hill View Juniors - will take on 19 laps around the pitch at the Stadium of Light on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 3.

The number of laps is connected to young George's uncle, Adrian Atkinson, who passed away aged only 19 on May 30, 2023 after suffering from osteosarcoma - bone cancer. He was the brother of George's mam Rachel.

Also joining the run is Adrian's nephew Madoc Atkinson. The run will take place after Sunderland AFC's open training session the same day. Thousands of families are expected to attend to watch the club's players being put through their paces.

George senior, who runs a a storage company hopes the crowd might chip in to the Teenage Cancer Trust charity he is running for. He has set a target figure of £2,000 - the same amount the charity donated towards the cost of Adrian's funeral.

Adrian was diagnosed with stage 4 osteosarcoma. The cancer spread from his left shin bone to his lungs, but he fought on to the end and his family remain hugely proud of him.

The elder George said: "Sometimes in life you like to pay back the people who have helped you the most. They'll use this to go on and help others.

"We can't help Adrian, but we can help others and show a bit of appreciation."

To contribute, visit George Fraser's JustGiving page.