Milford Waterfront shone brightly as over 240 enthusiastic runners donned dazzling costumes and embraced the glow of neon lights in a spirited 5K fundraising event.

The purpose of this event on Saturday, November 11 was to raise funds for acquiring a new defibrillator and to support the upkeep of the Milford Haven parkrun course. The event was a remarkable success, with runners of all ages and abilities coming together to make it a memorable evening. The dedicated parkrun volunteers organised the event, and the lively atmosphere left everyone with a smile. To celebrate their efforts, attendees enjoyed hot drinks, cakes, and participated in a fundraising raffle, with raffle prizes generously provided by participants as well as Freckles Café, and Furniture Directory in Frestrop. In an unexpected and heartwarming turn of events, Accord Marketing based in London, a company known for its commitment to community support, reached out to Event Director Karen Lewis to offer a brand new defibrillator. Accord’s PA Tracy Morris presented the life-saving device to the event organisers on the night. Accord Marketing made this generous contribution in memory of Mark John, their Chief Creative Officer, who sadly passed away on 31 October 2021 at the age of 47 due to a heart attack. Mark had been with the company for nearly 30 years, and in his honour, Accord selected London Hearts, a leading charity dedicated to providing heart defibrillators to communities, ensuring that no one is ever more than 100 metres away from one. They also focus on teaching CPR and defibrillator skills. To date, London Hearts has supplied over 24,000 defibrillators and trained over 200,000 people online. The defibrillator received is the fifth to be provided to a company or organisation in memory of Mark, with three more planned. Event Director Karen Lewis said: "We're so grateful to receive a new defibrillator from Accord Marketing; it means that we can now keep one at the start line and have another one out on the course. Hopefully, we'll never have to use them, but they're so important and can help save lives." Event Directors Karen Lewis and Jon Phillips extend their heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers who supported the event, including Derek and Eraine Kozel for providing hot drinks and Jane Jones for organising and running the raffle. They would also like to thank all the marshals who guided and supported the participants out on the course, and also to Karl Sutton for assisting with various aspects of the setup. The organisers also express their gratitude to Freckles Café for opening their doors on a Saturday evening to provide hot drinks and cakes to participants following their well-deserved efforts. Every contribution and donation to this noble cause is greatly appreciated, as the funds raised will be put to excellent use in supporting the Milford Waterfront parkrun course and ensuring the availability of life-saving defibrillators. For those who enjoyed the Saturday evening event, it's worth noting that the regular parkrun event is held on the same course at Milford Waterfront every Saturday morning at 9am.This inclusive event welcomes people of all abilities to run, jog, or walk and provides a great opportunity to make new friends and socialise over tea and cake afterwards. Everyone is welcome, simply complete your online registration here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/ and bring along your barcode on the day.