Over 60 women and girls from Keighley will be taking part this weekend's 'Race for Life' event at Lister Park in Bradford.

They will run the 5K event for 'TeamJackie' and aim to raise money for Cancer Research Charities and for Airedale Hospital's Haemotology & Oncology Day Unit.

"Jackie" is Jackie Dennis, wife of sportKeighley co-ordinator John Denis, who has been fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma, with the support of the team at Airedale Hospital and many friends and colleagues, for 18 months

She has undergone courses of chemotherapy in her fight against the cancer and launched her own fundraising campaign to say thankyou to staff at Airedale Hospital.

"Everyone has given tremendous support and the run is a way of bringing them all together to help the hospital in a very practical way. The response has been fantastic," Jackie said.

Those friends and colleagues have been secretly pounding the streets, often under cover of darkness, in order to get ready for the big day, when about 1,200 women will take part in Bradford's first Race for Life event.

All the team members will have a TeamJackie T-shirt designed specially for the race. The event - and the fundraising - has already been supplemented by a hill climb event organised by Keighley & Craven Athletic Club held last Thursday night from the Willow Tree public house in Riddlesden, involving a run up to Keighley Gate. The supper was very kindly provided by the landlady, enabling all proceeds to go to the unit's funds.

Anyone who wishes to contribute to the team and to the excellent work done at Airedale Hospital in fighting cancer in all its form should contact: sportjackie@blueyonder.co.uk.

n Jackie Dennis with some off the friends that will be running with her.