Liberty.

August 9, 2011
Sir Richard Branson and Ronan Keating are taking on the ultimate challenge. They’re captaining a team to swim the grueling waters of the Irish Sea and raise £1million!

The Swim is a celebrity-led challenge to cross the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin in a 10-person relay. Almost three times the length of the English Channel, this 56-mile swim hopes to raise £1 million for Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work.
Will this team of celebrity adventurers beat the odds to swim the most treacherous waters off the British coast? Richard and Ronan are to be joined by Gadget Show host Jason Bradbury, Snog, Marry, Avoid presenter and pop star Jenny Frost and have most recently been joined by Strictly Come Dancing star Pamela Stephenson.
“I’m proud to be part of The Swim team, and take part in this unique challenge for Cancer Research UK,” says Richard Branson. “I’ve undertaken many challenging events over the past 25 years, including running the London marathon and setting world records. But swimming the Irish Sea, a distance of 56 miles, with a team of amateur swimmers … this really is going to be a challenge and we’re going to need all the help we can get!
“I’m lucky enough to be able to swim regularly, but this won’t prepare me for many of the hazards I’ll face during the challenge; the Irish Sea is going to be cold, dark, with ferocious waves. There’s no doubt it will be an incredibly tough swim, and we’ll have to work together as a team to see it through to the finish.
“I hope that you’ll help me and my teammates in supporting Cancer Research UK. We want to raise £1m for this fantastic charity, and every penny you donate will bring us closer to this total. We’re all training hard, and your support and sponsorship will help make every stroke worth it!”
LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — On July 4, celebrated runner and activist Jonathon Prince will embark on “California Dreams,” a 60-day, 795-mile solo run invoking the spirit of positive change. “Dreams” will mark the fourth major run for Prince, whose previous cross-country efforts were lauded for their innovative approach to cause marketing.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110701/NY29503 )
Accompanied only by a jogger stroller laden with his personal effects, Prince will run the entire Pacific Coast of California, bonding with citizens and offering inspiration by example. Says Prince, “If I can inspire just ONE person to make a positive change in their life or in the lives of others, thus creating a cycle of inspiring others to do the same, I could make this world a better place for generations to come.”
“California Dreams” will mark Prince’s first project thematically rooted in a single place and honoring its aspirational allure. As a visionary “Athli-vist” (athlete-activist), Prince has run over 8,000 miles through 24 states, inspiring hope and raising awareness for his philanthropic endeavors. In 2005, he launched Run 4 Relief with a 2,700-mile run from Los Angeles to Atlanta, stopping to receive the key to the city in New Orleans. The following year, his Run for Relief II took him on a 1,500-mile trek from Atlanta to New York City. Both runs raised money to support families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In 2010, he created HopeOrDie, promoting the cause with a 3,000-mile run from Santa Monica to Washington, DC.
Prince explains, “It’s imperative to keep dreams alive because that’s how we evolve. I believe this world will be a better place, when more people start dreaming again, but more importantly put action behind their dreams.”
As a bulwark against today’s sobering headlines, Jonathon Prince is running to influence others to reconnect and chase the dreams they once had and to encourage them to create new dreams. He elaborates, “You have to be forever conscious not to take away from someone’s dream, because it may be all they have. I’m looking to encourage Cali’s Dreamers to realize their dreams while chasing mine against the backdrop of California’s majestic coastline.”
Jonathan Prince’s “California Dreams” run kicks off July 4 at 11AM, along the Oregon – California border in Del Norte County town of Crescent City, CA. Below is the full schedule for the 60-Day event. Runners of all ages are encouraged to accompany Jonathon along his daily route to share their stories and support his statewide effort in making a dream come true.
About Jonathon Prince: International Runner, Artist, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist, Jonathon Prince has logged over 8,000 miles running in support of a cause or ideal. Recognized by Ebony magazine for representing the “Future of Philanthropy,” Jonathon has pioneered the role of “Social Athi-vist,” using his feats of endurance to promote positive change. To learn more about Jonathon’s philosophy and social initiatives, follow his “California Dreams” run on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PrinceOfStrides.