Sheffield football fans, runners and golfers raise thousands for charity

Football fans in Sheffield got a kick out of raising cash for charity - helping to collect over £6,000 at one game.

Sheffield United supporters backed a ‘Turn The Lane Pink Day’ at Bramall Lane when the Blades played Millwall earlier in the season.

They raised £6,376 for Breast Cancer Care, which provides care, information and support to people affected by breast cancer, by buying the shirts worn by Sheffield United players during the game, which were sold on eBay afterwards.

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Fans also bought special pink T-shirts sold in Sheffield United’s superstore ahead of the game, which featured a space to write the names of loved ones.

They also donated to bucket collections around the ground.

Dave McCarthy, operations director at Sheffield United, said: “This donation to Breast Cancer Care is made following a fantastic effort by Sheffield United Football Club, including the club’s board, the players, and the fans.

“We were extremely proud to see – and now recognise – the impact that ‘Turn The Lane Pink Day’ had, and presenting this cheque to Breast Cancer Care means a lot to the club.

“Sheffield United is a community-focused club and always have the desire to support local charities.”

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Deborah Adams, community fundraising manager for Breast Cancer Care, said: “The support shown by Sheffield United has been absolutely incredible.

“To everyone at the club who got involved, from the players to the staff and the club’s board to the Blade supporters, we are extremely grateful and thrilled with how successful the day was.

“The funds raised from ‘Turn the Lane Pink Day’ will go towards providing vital care, support and information to anyone affected by breast cancer, every day, from day one.”

n Doncaster firm Unipart Rail raised £1,600 for the South Yorkshire branch of the Red Cross through staff members taking part in an indoor triathlon.

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In the event, at the consultancy firm’s offices in Balby Carr Bank, 14 members of staff covered a distance of 320km over seven hours.

They competed in running, cycling and rowing competitions to kickstart the company’s fundraising efforts this year.

Last year the firm’s employees raised over £8,000 for charities including Weston Park Hospital, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

n Three friends are to run nearly a marathon a day for eight days in a bid to complete the Coast-to-Coast challenge for charity.

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Sarah Wood, 41, of Killamarsh, Derbyshire and Pam Rollinson, 46, of Beighton, Sheffield, are raising cash for the City of Sheffield Gymnastics Club, where Sarah’s daughter Grace, 11, trains.

They want to help meet the £15,000 cost of installing a new sprung floor at the club’s Killamarsh base.

Sue Wasnidge, 41, of Sothall, Sheffield, is completing the challenge to raise money for disadvantaged families.

n A 5km-a-day runner, originally from Sheffield but now living in Spain, has set himself a new challenge for the new year - running 2016km in 12 months.

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Chris Wright, 47, who ran 5km every day last year for Alzheimer’s Research UK, wants to keep up his fundraising efforts this year.

So far he has raised around £6,000.

The inspiration behind Chris’ fundraising is his father-in law, Les Hurst, who had Alzheimer’s and died last year.

“It’s terribly upsetting to see someone who used to be so funny and full of life, but simply isn’t there anymore. The hardest part is that you could turn up and he’d have no idea who you were, or you could arrive and he’d say, ‘Hello Chris’ in his normal voice. You never knew what you were going to get,” he said

“When you work your whole life, you should be able to enjoy it at the end. With dementia, everything’s taken away and you’re left not being able to care for yourself or even recognise your loved ones.”

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n A year of fundraising by Sickleholme Golf Club’s ladies’ section led to golfers handing over £7,035 to St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield.

The golfers, who use the course at Bamford, organised bridge tournaments, photographic evenings and a ladies’ dinner.

They also took part in a fancy dress round of golf in which ladies’ captain Wendy Cooke completed the course dressed as Princess Elsa from Disney cartoon Frozen.

St Luke’s Hospice’s community fundraising manager, Clare Robinson, said: “I would like to say thank you to the Sickleholme ladies for making such an enormous difference with their imaginative approach to raising money.”