Lots of good causes in East Cambridgeshire will receive a share of £2,500 this Christmas time – and we are looking for your nominations to decide just who should benefit.
Isle of Ely Produce raised £2,500 with its popular potato race, held in Ely’s High Street in October and have joined forces with city Mayor Ian Lindsay and Spotted in Ely readers to help give it away.
Hundreds lined the High Street for the race to cheer on the teams as they sprinted the half-a-mile course each laden with a 20kg bag of spuds, all of which had been grown by farmers in the Fens surrounding the city.
Ian Lindsay Mayor of Ely says “I was honoured to be the official starter for the Ely Potato Race and saw first hand what a great race it has become. To raise over £2,500 too for local charities and groups is the icing on the cake. I urge you all to come forward no matter how small.”
The two-man team from the Cambridge Ambulance Service were crowned worthy champions, winning their heat before, in the final, powering away from runners-up the Atrium Gym in the dash to the line. The Sylhet Restaurant Ely came third.
The winning team was racing with potatoes from farmers D Palmer and Sons.
Oliver Boutwood, of organisers Isle of Ely Produce, said: “It was a fantastic race and we look forward to welcoming everyone back again next year. To raise more than £2,500 for charity was fantastic, and now we are looking for 10 local charities and groups to help spend it .”
The event was put on by Isle of Ely Produce to celebrate the region’s potato growers and the harvest festival. Alongside the three winning teams were twelve other teams who competed in what was hailed the most keenly contested race yet.
Also receiving £200 for its efforts was the Hereward Rotary Club of Ely, which marshalled the streets and the Littleport Lions. Plus local schools competed for £500 in prize money too taking the overall race pot raised to around £3,500.
To be in with a chance of receiving a share of the cash, e-mail austen@isleofely.co.uk
Each successful group or charity will receive £250.
Closing date for nominations is January 31st 2017. The nominations will be considered by Ely Mayor Ian Lindsay, and the directors of Isle of Ely Produce.
