A CANCER patient and her sister have raised more than £8,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Claire Flatt and her Sarah Shirley hosted a ball at Hogarths Hotel in Dorridge for local cancer services provided by the charity.
The Solihull sisters held the event held the event as part of their #claireschallenge which was launch 18 months ago after Claire was diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer at the age of just 33.
The ball raised £8,441 for the charity’s Macbrum ball which aims to raise £250,000 for Macmillan services across Birmingham and the Black Country.
Claire said: “We are absolutely over the moon that the ball raised over £8,000 on the night.
“This mean, to date, we have raised almost £20,000 for Macmillan with almost half of that going directly to Macbrum.
“Raising money for Macmillan, more specifically Macbrum, is very important to my family and I because it means all money raised would go back into our local community to support people like myself living with cancer.
“From financial support to emotional support Macmillan have been incredible and we cannot thank them enough for their care, compassion, expertise and friendship.”
The charity say so far the campaign has raised £95,000 to date.
Claire added: “We would like to thank everyone who attended the ball for coming along and supporting our first ever event.
“The night could not have gone any better and it exceeded our expectations in so many ways.
“Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, sponsored a seat, bought a raffle ticket, bid on an auction item or donated money because they couldn’t attend.
“Your generosity has been incredible and we hope you all enjoyed the night as much as we did, so much so we hope to see you again next year.
“We would also like to add a special thank you to Liz Taylor, area fundraising manager for Macmillan who has supported us every step of the way to help us bring this ball together and to make it the success it was.”
Sara Johnson, regional fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Claire is a true inspiration to us all.
“Her continuous efforts and commitment to raise money for Macmillan alongside the challenges she faces with her health are truly amazing.
“We receive no government funding so really appreciate all the effort Claire and Sarah, put into organising, hosting and taking part in the events she has been involved in over the last 18 months.
“The money she has raised will help us to continue to be there for people living with cancer in Birmingham and the Black Country from the moment they are diagnosed and for that, we are very grateful.”
For more contact Sara Johnson by emailing [email protected] or calling 07458059797.
