A £1million fundraising effort by 15 former Welsh rugby captains has been bolstered by a popular Llanelli pub. In just 12 month the Thomas Arms has raised more than £10,000 for the Brains SA Captains Climb to Mount Kilimanjaro, which is in aid of the Stepping Stones Appeal at Velindre Hospital.
The lion’s share of the money was raised at an ‘Evening with Scott Quinnell’ held in the Thomas Arms function room. The event was hosted by the former Wales number 8, who is one of the 15 climbers, and included a four course meal and auction. Items that went under the hammer included a signed British Lions shirt, Welsh rugby memorabilia, a limited edition sketch of Stradey rugby ground, and various weekend and overnight breaks. The auction, combined with raffle and ticket sales, totalled £6,840.
A further £3,500 was raised at various other events, including quiz nights, a ‘cawl and chan’ evening, a Gavin and Stacey themed fancy dress night and a 12 hour ‘sponsored bounce’.
Christine, managed at the Thomas Arms, said: “We’ve had such a good response from our customers I can only thank them for giving so generously. From spare change in collections tins on the bar through to hundreds of pounds bid for auction prizes, their donations have helped us raise this fantastic amount, all of which will go towards a very worthy cause.”
Andrew Morris, Head of Fundraising at Velindre said: “The contribution the Thomas Arms has made to Velindre Cancer Centre’s Stepping Stones Appeal is huge. Not only have they raised £10,000, they have helped raise the profile of lung cancer research”.
You can still support you favourite Captain by visiting www.justgiving.com/brainssacaptainsclimb, or you can make a £2 donation by texting CLIMB to 70099, you will be charged £2 plus 1 message at your standard network rate. Velindre will receive a minimum of £1.72 from each message.
All money raised will go towards the Stepping Stones Appeal, which is raising funds for lung cancer research at Velindre Cancer Centre. Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer death in Wales and it is estimated by 2015 there will be a 30% increase in the most common forms of cancer in Wales. Although lung cancer is the most common form of cancer death in Wales, lung cancer research has been relatively poorly supported compared to other higher profile forms of cancer.
