Text boost for bone cancer charity (From York Press)
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Text boost for Guy Francis Bone Cancer Research Fund
8:16am Thursday 25th October 2012 in Fundraising fun
By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter
Mike and Ros Francis, the parents of Guy Francis, before the text record attempt
A YORK charity has failed in its attempt to raise £100,000 in 24 hours through text messages – but organisers say the venture has still given it a massive boost.
The Guy Francis Bone Cancer Research Fund had hoped to create a new Guinness World Record for texted donations to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of its founder, Guy Francis of Wheldrake.
Guy’s father Mike, speaking after yesterday’s 2pm deadline for texted donations, said he would prefer not to disclose how much had been raised until he had had chance to take stock and also speak to Guinness, but confirmed it was still a “significant amount”.
And he said publicity surrounding the event had also resulted in several positive developments for the charity:
• People from as far away as America, unable to text donations, had got in touch to say they wanted to donate money in a different way
• A charity in the south had been in touch to say it might make a significant donation to assist with a bone cancer research project supported by the fund
• A York business had been in touch to say it wanted to make the fund its charity of the year next year
• A huge number of people had become Facebook followers of the charity and had re-tweeted messages about the challenge - even members of the “scrumpy and western” band The Wurzels.
“We are thinking of getting in touch with them to see if they will come and perform at a barn dance!” he said.
Guy, who attended Fulford School, was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 17 and had several operations on his leg, neck and lungs, plus months of chemotherapy, before dying aged 23, after the cancer had returned for a third time and further treatment was impossible.
He started raising funds when he was in remission and fundraising has continued since his death through a series of personal challenges and fun-packed activities and events, with The Press reporting earlier this year that £200,000 had been collected in his memory.
