A FUNDRAISING event in memory of teenager killed in a road accident last year will see hundreds of people join in to raise money for charity.

Ethan Ross, 17, died following the two-vehicle collision on the A55 near his home city of St Asaph in September of last year.

He had been airlifted to hospital in Stoke but died three days after the accident on Monday, September 14.

Now, almost a year on, a fundraiser has been set up in his memory by his family and it will see hundreds of people take part in a marathon challenge.

Ethan’s mum Helen and his father Paul have set up the event to raise money for both the air ambulance and young minds charity.

Participants are urged to walk, run, swim or hike 26.2 miles to help raise money.

Helen, who works at Rhyl High School, said: “Our event is called #moveamarathonforEthan and it is taking place over the weekend of June 18-20. We have 34 schools in Denbighshire taking part on the Friday and 400 individuals have already signed up to complete their own marathon challenges over that weekend. We also have individuals taking part all over Denbighshire and Conwy including down south in Essex and Cornwall

“My husband Paul and our son Callum along with friends will be running a full marathon on the Sunday from Llandudno great Orme to St Asaph City’s football pitch.

"We have already raised £30,000 with all the fundraising. My personal target is £50,000.

"The event originated as someone said to my husband 'you need to have a challenge and something positive to do to get you through' so he decided to run a marathon with a friend on the longest weekend June 20. I then said to Paul we should turn this into an event in memory of Ethan and get as many of our friends to join in, it then grew from there and the idea of #MoveAMarathonForEthan begun.

"The support and love we have received has been overwhelming and has certainly got us through some of our darkest days and given us the strength to carry on," Helen added.

"Anyone can take part all they have to do is move 26.2 of anything and there are no restrictions to age we have just encouraged everyone to take up the challenge. We have now 450 individuals signed up and doing challenges over the weekend.

"People are cycling, walking, running, dancing, working out, kayaking, swimming etc.

"We decided to fundraise for Wales air ambulance and Youngminds as these are both very close to our hearts. Air Ambulance took Ethan to Stoke and are totally reliable on donations. Youngminds is something I feel is totally needed especially now through covid the need for support for young people suffering with mental health is huge."

Ethan, who was a pupil at Denbigh High and worked as a waiter at Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel, was described as a ‘popular’ young man.

He was part of the Development squad at Denbigh Town Football Club, having signed for them last season when he was 16. He was also previously a part of Henllan Juniors.

For more information about the event, visit fb.me/e/1HiUDruYA

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/moveamarathonforethan

To mark the launch of the fundraising event in Ethan's memory, Rhyl’s Sky Tower, Pavilion Theatre and 1891 restaurant were lit up blue on December 1, 2020.

Full list of activities taking part

  • Helen's brother and four friends and colleagues from North Wales Police are starting the event when they cycle from Chelsea Football Ground (Ethan’s beloved Football Team) to St Asaph over 2 days
  • Friday schools are all doing their own challenges and all wearing something blue for Ethan
  • People are walking the Alwen, the Brenig the Offa’s Dyke Path. A group of staff from Rhyl High are Camping out over the weekend and walking Snowdon, another are cycling and then there is a walking group walking from Rhyl High to Denbigh High. Someone is kayaking on Marine Lake.
  • Liam O’Sullivan from SP Energy Networks is walking from their Prenton Office to their Wrexham office on Saturday. He has already raised of £7,000 on his just giving page all from MoveAMarathonForEthan
  • St Asaph City Riders are cycling up and down Rhuallt Hill the equivalent of cycling Everest on Saturday.
  • Shaun Hughes from Denbigh is completing an Ultra Marathon on Saturday 52 miles from Llangollen to Prestatyn
  • St Asaph Rainbows and Brownies have already raised £657 completing their own marathons since February
  • The Marathon on Sunday – Paul and Ethan’s brother Callum will be running this from the Great Orme Llandudno to St Asaph Football ground along with friends and family. He will be joined along the way by individuals finishing of their milage. SP Energy Networks will be supporting us with this and I will be cycling it with them.

Other events planned

  • Charity Football Match July 17 where Ethan’s home friends and School friends will be playing each other and we will be drawing our raffle
  • In October the family will be holding charity auction
  • The family also have day nurseries and child minders taking part. Alison Sussex from Denbigh, who is a childminder, has raised more than £600. She will be walking with her little ones and all wearing their t-shirts