A GROUP of fitness fanatics are encouraging people to put their best foot forward to help a local charity.

CrossFit Haddington is teaming up with Our Community Kitchen for “One Million Metres for Meals”.

The special fundraiser, which will take place in Haddington’s Neilson Park, is encouraging people to lace up their walking shoes in a bid to raise £10,000 in just three hours for the good cause.

Sarah Macdonald, owner of Macmerry-based CrossFit Haddington, called on people to join in the fun from noon this Saturday.

She said: “It is just going to be a big community fun run-type event.

“The Haddington rugby club pitch perimeter is about 800m and we are encouraging people to come along and run, jog, walk – whatever they would like to do to – contribute to those million metres as a collective.

“Also, we are making it a fun community event.

“We will have food vendors, a bouncy castle for kids and music.

“It will just be a great time for the whole family and friends to come out and get behind Our Community Kitchen.”

Our Community Kitchen was founded five years ago.

The good cause, which meets four days a week in Haddington Bowling Club, encourages people to come together round the dinner table to enjoy a homemade meal while tackling loneliness and social isolation.

Mrs Macdonald said CrossFit Haddington, which was launched in May 2019, was keen to help good causes.

She said: “We are always looking for ways to support our local community and have a positive impact.

“One of our members, Pete Davison, is on the board for Our Community Kitchen.

“We like to have a big charity fundraiser each year and when I heard Pete was on the board I thought it would be a wonderful charity to get behind.

“They do so much awesome work in the area.”

A raffle and bake sale will also take place in Neilson Park, while Haddington RFC’s players will wear pedometers in the warm-up ahead of their contest with Langholm, which kicks off at 3pm as the event ends.

Mrs Macdonald was confident they could reach their ambitious target with the community coming together.

She added: “I have no doubt we will accomplish this.

“Lots of people are coming out to do some laps and we have had so much support from the rugby club.”

Elaine Gale, who founded Our Community Kitchen, thanked CrossFit Haddington for its support and described the event as “absolutely incredible”.

She said: “It is a phenomenal amount for us.

“It would mean our gas, our electricity, buying our food and dealing with that cost-of-living increase.

“It is really huge just now and we buy our own food.

“We do not get it donated; we buy it.”

For more information, e-mail info@crossfithaddington.com