Celebrity
Girls Aloud’s Charity Run In Memory Of Sarah Harding Is Only The Beginning
The band has plans to raise more funds for breast cancer research in honour of their late bandmate.
It’s happened: the Girls Aloud reunion has taken place. On July 24 the girl group reformed to participate in “Race for Life for Sarah” in honour of Sarah Harding, who passed away in September 2021 from breast cancer. Organised by Cancer Research UK, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, and Nicola Roberts ran the 5k race in Hyde Park, surrounded by friends and family and, as the BBC reports, over 1,000 fans. Kimberley Walsh could not attend the event but took part virtually with her husband, Justin Scott.
Celebrating Harding’s life and raising money for Cancer Research UK, the event gave Cheryl, Coyle, and Roberts the opportunity to honour their friend and bandmate. “Sarah’s energy was like a firework so I feel like that huge difference in energy when she’s not here,” Roberts said. “I think that for us right now, we don’t feel like Girls Aloud. We don’t feel like a band without Sarah.” Cheryl said she still feels as though Harding is here. “I’ve never experienced or anticipated this grief,” the singer added. “The feeling of shock and disbelief and it still fingers now to be honest. I still can’t quite believe it’s real.”
Before the “Race for Life for Sarah”, Coyle shared how Harding felt “passionately about wanting to help other people in the same situation as her” and that “she really wanted to do some fundraising herself.” Walsh told the MailOnline that Harding “talked to us about this when we were together and individually” and that she wanted to raise money for the hospital that treated her. “Beyond that we’ll always do what we can to help raise money and awareness for cancer and breast cancer awareness.”
Later this year, Girls Aloud will reunite again for a gala in Harding’s name. Cheryl said that towards the end of her life, Harding asked her “to create a gala in her honour to fund a crucial study that her doctor was working on.” In keeping with Harding’s wishes, the gala will be held in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, raising funds for breast cancer research and providing awareness.
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