ATRADITIONAL English art will help nine women raise funds in memory of their loved ones as they dance their way around the Race for Life tomorrow.

The Locos-in-Motion Border Morris Dancers will stand out from the 3,500 other runners at South Park in Darlington as they raise money for Cancer Research.

The female members of the Sadberge-based morris dancing group will don full kit of top hats and tattercoats, accessorised with sticks and bells, for their processional dance around the 5km course.

Anne Alderson will be taking part in the dance after first completing the Race for Life with her sister, Northern Echo and Darlington and Stockton Times reporter Jill Neill, who died from ovarian cancer in October 2008.

Mrs Alderson said: “Jill was always fit and used to do The Great North Run, but after a course of chemotherapy she was unable to run distances.

“She decided to do the Race for Life because it was shorter than the others, so I said I’d do it with her and we trained together.

“It’s such a fantastic event for such a fantastic cause and this year we decided to do something special and do it as a group in our full morris dancing outfits.”

Music for the dance will be provided around the course by Joy Rennie and Carolyn Hardy whose husband, Ian, died from cancer last year.

The couple had been married only 18 months when Mr Hardy passed away only two months after being diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus.

“This terrible disease is something that effects all of us. Two members of our group have died from cancer in recent years, added Mrs Alderson.

“I just hope we can raise as much money as possible, between the nine of us. We are certainly hoping to raise a few hundred pounds.”

Parkside will be closed from its junction with Lakeside to its junction with Grange Road between 7am and noon. Runners are urged to park in town centre car parks and walk to the park.

The warm-up for the 11am race starts at 10.30am.

Anyone who would like to donate to the morris dancers’ fundraising campaign can go to raceforlifesponsorme.org/ carolynhardy2904.

The Locos-in-Motion Border Morris Dancers meet at Sadberge Village Hall every Tuesday evening and are on the look out for new members.

For more information contact Mrs Alderson on 01325-333292.