March 2008

The gorillas are coming ….. to London!

2008 Great Gorilla Run set for Saturday 27 September

On Saturday 27 September, 720 people will take to the streets of London, in their very furry, very funny, gorilla suits, for the 2008 Great Gorilla Run – the gorillas are definitely coming!

Hundreds of fun-loving, gorilla friendly people from all over the world will dress up as gorillas and run (or walk!) 7km to raise much-needed funds for the London based charity, the Gorilla Organization.

This year, there will be 720 places for Great Gorilla runners - one runner for every Mountain gorilla living in the wild – if the places are filled, the 2008 Great Gorilla Run will break the Guinness World Record for the most people dressed up in gorilla suits in one place at one time!

Jillian Miller, the Gorilla Organization’s Executive Director, says, “Each year the Great Gorilla Run gets better and better, and the accessories that people add to their gorilla costumes get even more flamboyant!”

Everyone who registers for the Great Gorilla Run receives a free gorilla suit (the perfect fundraising tool!) and is asked to raise £400 in sponsorship for the endangered gorillas.

To register for 2008 Great Gorilla Run and get your free gorilla suit visit www.greatgorillas.org. Registration for the run costs £75 (gorilla suit to keep included!), and each runner is asked to raise £400 sponsorship or whatever they can for the Gorilla Organization.

All proceeds from the Great Gorilla Run help fund the Gorilla Organization’s projects in central Africa. The Gorilla Organization understands that if gorillas are to survive in the context of Africa’s other significant challenges, conservation efforts needs to be owned and managed by local people. As such, the organisation’s programme develops the capacity of local people living on the borders of the national parks, by supporting long-term poverty alleviation and environmental education projects. These not only bring vast benefits to local people, but also enable them to play an active role in gorilla conservation and become stakeholders in the gorillas’ future. For more information on the work of the Gorilla Organization visit www.gorillas.org.

About the Great Gorilla Run 2008

When: Saturday 27 September 2008
Where: The run starts and finishes at the London Underwriting Centre off Mincing Lane in the City of London
How far: The run is a nice flat 7km route (that is just over 4 miles)
How much: When signing up each participant must pay a £75 registration fee, which covers the cost of the gorilla costume and the administration of the run. Each runner also pledges to raise over £400 for the Gorilla Organization.

Register on-line at www.greatgorillas.org