Bermudians are being asked to get up and run to raise money for Bermudian students in an initiative from a former scholarship recipient, Allison Parry.

Ms Parry is calling for islanders to secure pledges for donations from friends and family to run, swim or walk as many miles as they can throughout the month of July. This can be done through one-off donations or by sponsoring every mile run – for instance: a dollar a mile.

The funds raised will go toward supporting Bermudians students looking to continue their education overseas in the wake of the global pandemic of Covid-19 through the Knowledge Quest scholarship charity. Many of the island’s students work summer jobs in industries that have been hard hit by the pandemic, such as retail, hospitality and restaurants and the hope is that this will provide some relief.

The initiative was conceived by Ms Parry, a keen runner and a graduate of neuroscience from Dalhousie University, and a former Green family scholarship recipient. She hopes to study medicine in the UK to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. She is planning to run 100 miles in July.

Allison ‘Allie’ Parry, organiser of 31 Days Run to Read, said: “With the current pandemic upon us, this year has been extremely challenging for a lot of people, including many students who rely on summer employment to help fund their education overseas. I am so grateful for the scholarship that I received from the Green family through Knowledge Quest and I am excited to be paying it forward, helping other Bermudians succeed in their education. I hope people from all over the island take part and use this as an excuse to get out and get moving!”

Participants can register online here and find out more about the initiative and interact with other runners on the challenge’s Facebook page here.

The initiative is supported by the Green family, who will match every dollar raised by official participants, through their Knowledge Quest scholarship fund.

• Press release from the Green Family Scholarship and Allie Parry