Marathon man Ray to host dinner to boost appeal

Ray (75) will hold the event at The Crown Hotel, Bawtry, on Wednesday, December 7, from 7.30pm.

The Advertiser has submitted its nomination for the grandad-of-three to be knighted after completing 75 marathons in 75 days to mark his 75th birthday last month - aiming to raise £75,000 for Newman School in Whiston.

Ray, of Maltby, said: “The idea is that it will be a celebration of what I achieved and a chance to thank everybody who has supported me along the way.

“The fundraising website closes on December 31 and whatever money we get by then will be donated to the school but that won’t be the end. I will still continue raising money as much as I can.”

Ray has so far raised more than £25,000 for the school, which caters for children with additional needs.

He said he hoped the dinner would help boost his total and he continues to receive celebrity praise for his achievements this week.

McFly drummer Harry Judd tweeted him: “What an incredible man Ray Matthews is! 75 marathons in 75 at the age of 75! What an inspiration. All for a great cause too.”

Ray said: “The tweet was totally out of the blue and I asked him to tweet the link of the fundraising website, which he did.”

Ray was also presented with his own cartoon courtesy of the Advertiser’s resident artist Blist.

The presentation took place when Ray was guest speaker at Rotherham United Nostalgia Society’s meeting last week.

He said: “The cartoon is fantastic. I couldn’t believe it. I really enjoyed the talk as well because it’s been a while since I did one.”

Tickets for Ray’s black tie dinner, which will include a four-course meal, entertainment and a question and answer session with Ray, cost £50 each. Discounts are available for groups or businesses wanting to book a table for ten. To book, call Ray on 07720 636007 or 07773 561667.

Visit www.rotherhamadver tiser.co.uk and click on the Arise Sir Ray tab for more details on our campaign.