ComeOnYouSaints.com, the unofficial website of Northampton Saints rugby club, are pleased to announce the forthcoming Saints With Heart 3 sponsored walk in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

This is the third year of the walk, and will take place from 7.30 a.m. on Saturday 16th October, before the Saints home game with Sale Sharks that afternoon. the walk is split in two, with "long" walkers travelling 17 miles from Wolverton railway station to Franklin's Gardens, and meeting up with "short" walkers for the last 8 miles from Stoke Bruerne.

The Patron for this year's walk is Maggie Barwell, wife of Saints chairman Keith, and a participant in last year's walk. It is hoped that Keith, who has suffered from heart trouble previously, will take part in this year's walk and lead the walkers into Franklin's Gardens.

Previous walks have raised a total of over £13,000 for the BHF, and it is hoped that this year's effort will beat the £9,600 raised last year.

Saints With Heart was established after three members of our online community, namely Robert Leach, Bob Stainsby, and Mark Coleman, suffered heart attacks within a six month period in 2002. Indeed, Mark suffered his heart attack in Biarritz that October whilst supporting the Saints in the Heineken Cup.

The first walk took place on 7th December 2002, was started by then-Saints Mattie Stewart and Peter Jorgensen, and raised just under £4,000 - a remarkable total considering that from the time the idea was mooted to the walk itself was less than four weeks.

The second fundraising effort, on 11th October 2003, was helped by our friends from Leicester Tigers, who took part in an unusual challenge. If the Tigers supporters could raise more than ourselves through our respective websites, then one of our number would wear a Tigers shirt for the entire walk, which to a Saints supporter is heresey. After a total of £1,515 was raised, and despite the Saints total being marginally more, the Tigers shirt was worn as a mark of respect for the tremendous genorosity shown.

For this year's walk, we've gone one step further. Site regulars have contacted each of the 12 Zurich Premiership clubs, the majority of whom (to date) have kindly donated a signed shirt that we can use to raise money after the walk. We have also been offered a framed signed shirt by World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson, which Martin has agreed to present to the lucky winner. Local rivals Bedford, from National League One, and containing many ex-Saints stars, have also donated a shirt to the cause

It is hoped that we can recreate the famous photograph after the World Cup Final on Manly beach, where the World Cup winning players posed in their club shirts.

Saints With Heart 3 brings the Premiership clubs together for a common cause - helping the British Heart Foundation to continue its excellent work in combatting heart disease.

Falcons have kindly donated a signed shirt by the 2004/05 squad:-

to be used to gain money for the fund. There have been many discussions as to the best way that money can be raised for this shirt, and to pay respect to the generosity of the club, it’s been decided that as many supporters as possible should be given the chance to own the shirt. Please refer to the message board for further details.

Guess!

Please look at the thread on the Message Board for further details.