Macmillan marathon

University Radio York’s William Chalk and Tom Edwards are preparing to present a record-breaking radio show in order to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

In what they have described as “the challenge of a lifetime”, the pair will present a 40-hour-long show; running from 7am on Friday 8th March until 11pm on Saturday 9th.

The programme will be the station’s longest broadcast to date, and a selection of university students and staff, live bands, representatives from MacMillan and a host of celebrity guests will join the two presenters along the way.

“A lot of work goes into preparing even a regular radio show”, said English and Philosophy student William Chalk. “Luckily, we’re not working alone – we are going to be joined by students and staff of the university, bands, and even some celebrity guests.”

URY obtained national recognition of its achievements by being named Student Station of the Year at the national Student Radio Awards in 2005 and since then has received numerous awards, hosted special FM broadcasts and many charity events.

Tom Edwards said: “I began raising money for Macmillan nearly six years ago now. My friend had a close relative who was battling with cancer and she was very keen on raising money for the charity.

“A group of us went carol singing in the city. We raised close to £1,000 and decided to do it again the following three years. Last year, I lost three of my grandparents and two of them were to cancer. This has opened my eyes to how common cancer is and how many people it affects.”

You can tune in to URY online or across campus on 1350AM, and tweet using the hashtag #URYMarathon. The Facebook event has more on the show and you can visit the donation page by clicking here.