With the help of British Airways, Chef Gordon Ramsay brought Sport Relief to the tens of thousands of expats living in LA on Thursday when he led a ‘Flash Gordon Mob’ and combined it with a ‘mini fun-run’.
Ramsay completed a 100-metre run in Santa Monica on Thursday, alongside 35 volunteers – some dressed in chef whites, others in ‘Flash Gordon’ costumes for comedy value.
The event was hosted by British Airways to bring Sport Relief to the 350,000 Brits living in Los Angeles. The airline has raised more than £6.5 million through is ‘Flying Start’ partnership with Comic Relief.
Gordon Ramsay said: “There’s so many British people living and working in LA, so it’s great to be able to cook up some awareness for Flying Start and Sport Relief! I’m currently working here too, so it was nice to see so many Brits, as well as locals, coming along to show their support.”
Fun runners included British Airways staff, as well as expats and ‘Angelenos’ invited through the ‘Brits in LA’ community, which the airline works closely with.
Volunteer runner Lizzie Herring, 26 from Surrey, said; “It was good fun and very much in keeping with the British and Sport Relief sense of humour, with some runners even dressed as Chef Ramsay! Gordon also took the time to give us some really useful running tips, which is rather handy since many of us are in marathon training.”
As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief encourages the public to get active and raise money to change lives. The airline’s Flying Start partnership contributes towards this, helping children leading unimaginably difficult lives in the UK and around the world.
As well as collecting donations from customers on board British Airways flights, staff will also be volunteering at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the Sport Relief weekend March 21-23, taking part in a 28-mile cycle ride around Loch Ness in Scotland and taking on the Three Peaks challenge in 24 hours, to name a few.
To find out more about Brits in LA, visit www.facebook.com/britsinla
(photos by Mike Windle/ Getty for British Airways)
