| Cardiff’s annual Santa and Elf Dash is back this year, but with a twist. Taking place on Sunday 13th December or any date in December, avid runners, walkers and Welsh Hearts supporters are being encouraged to dress up in festive fancy dress and take on a 5K walk, dash or run for the heart charity for Wales. The popular annual fun run which has taken place in Cardiff Bay for the last 7 years will, for the first time, be run virtually due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. On the first Sunday of December, thousands of Santas and Elves would usually descend on the Roald Dahl Plass, the start and finish point for the event, but in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the charity has opted to make the event a virtual run for 2020. Proceeds raised from the entrance fee and sponsorship will go towards placing defibrillators in communities, providing CPR training and screening young hearts for undiagnosed heart conditions. |
 Welsh Hearts Charity Director Sharon Owen, pictured |
| Sharon Owen, Charity Director of Welsh Hearts says: “This year has been incredibly difficult for us as a small, all-Wales charity. Our fundraising events are our biggest source of income, and many of our planned events have been postponed indefinitely, or cancelled altogether. We know how loved the Santa Dash is, so we wanted to come up with a way that the people of Wales can still get involved and raise vital funds for us safely.” The charity is encouraging anyone, anywhere in Wales to dress up in a festive outfit and walk, run or dash any 5K route they choose. Participants can choose to take on the challenge solo, or take part with members of their household/bubble to ensure they adhere to Coronavirus restrictions. Sharon adds: “It’s a real shame we can’t run the Santa Dash in its usual format this year, but you can still have fun and go the extra mile this Christmas for the heart charity for Wales. Every penny raised in Wales is spent in Wales to save lives. We know times are tough for everyone, but we need your support now more than ever.” |
 Sharon at Cardiff Bay |
| Representatives from Welsh Hearts will be appearing at Cardiff Bay on 13th December to launch the event, and take part in the fun run, in line with current social distancing rules. It’s estimated that at least 12 young people die every week in the UK from undiagnosed heart conditions. There are also around 8,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in Wales each year. Welsh Hearts offers heart screening to 8-45 year olds in a bid to pick up heart conditions that would otherwise go undetected. The charity also places defibrillators in communities and teaches CPR training with the aim of improving the poor survival rates when someone has a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. For more information or to sign up to the Virtual Dash, please visit https://santadash.wales For more information on Welsh Hearts, please visit https://www.welshhearts.org |
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