Fundraising for Breast Cancer Care in Memory of my Late Wife Shirley.

Sadly after a long battle with Breast Cancer, Shirley, my wife and partner of over 46 years, died here at home with me and our daughter Kay by her side, on the 28 February 2009.

A few weeks after her death I saw in a national newspaper details of a Breast Cancer Care Challenge - Trek China 2009.   This I thought was a perfect opportunity to raise funds in her memory, whilst at the same time giving us something to occupy what is, as I sure you will understand, a very lonely and difficult time in our lives.  I say our lives because though I will be the one taking part in the Trek, Kay, her husband Drew and our grandson Derrick, are all actively involved in fundraising over in Northern Ireland.

The Trek is to take place between 15 - 24 October 2009, the actual treking is along the Great Wall of China for between 5-8 hours a day for 6 days, staying in lodges along the way.  More details can be found on the Breast Cancer Care website, though when any of us meet you I am sure we will be only too happy to fill you in.

I have already paid the £250 Administration/Registration fee and have undertaken to raise at least £3250, though I have set an initial target of £3500 but would hope to raise much more.  If you can help in anyway, either by a personal donation, by getting family, friends or work contacts to make a donation or even help organize fundraising, it would be greatly appreciated. We realy do want to raise a sum worthy of Shirleys memory.

Update. Those of you who knew Shirley will recall in December last year (2008) she was given the Chichester Observer Newspaper Community Awards, Best Volunteer Award.  It has just been announced the they are to rename the award "The Shirley Henry Best Volunteer Award" in December this year in her memory.  We are all very very proud.

Update 04 August 2009.

On Saturday 01 August we held a Fund Raising Night at The Royal Oak  (The Pink Pub) North Bersted, Bognor Regis, at which we held a raffle, BBQ (despite earlier rain) and Kareoke. Thanks to the generosity of those who attended and many others we raised a fantastic £655.  Fund raising goes well but more to do yet.

Update 13 September 2009.

Yesterday I met up with some of the people who are going on the Great Wall of China Trek, a realy nice crowd.  We completed a circular walk just South of Swindon of about 10 miles, allowing for the odd map reading error, in just over 4 hours at a good talking pace.  Fund raising goes on, Kay, Drew & Derrick have arranged a Fund Raising Night on Sat 3rd Oct 09 in Lisburn.  I am going over for the night to check out the Guinness, I will report back after the event on what I can remember.  Just over 4 weeks now to my going on the Trek.

 

Update 05 October 2009.

As reported previously on Saturday 3 October we held a Charity Fund Raising Night in Lisburn Northern Ireland.  Thanks to all the hard work by my daughter Kay, her husband Drew, their son (my grandson) Derrick and their friends we had a great night at which we raised a fantastic, tremendous, spectacular: £1,000.  This was made up of sponsorship, entry tickets and proceeds from a raffle with prizes donated by many friends and local companies.  To highlight the genorosity of people, I would mention that even the Taxi driver that drove us home, on hearing that we had held a fund raising night for Breast Cancer Care, donated his fare to the fund.  No we did not know him, that is just a measure of the kindness of many people in Lisburn and around that have supported us.  Thank you all.

I recently contacted the local radio station SPIRIT FM and they have invited me on to the Sunday Lunchtime programme on Sunday 11 October to talk about our fund raising and why we are doing it.  I will be on air between 1.00pm and 2.00pm talking to Ian Crouch & Vicky Edwards the shows presenters.  If I survive I will add a note to the page after the show.

 

Update Monday 12 October 2009.

Well I survived the visit to SPIRIT FM radio.   Ian & Vicky were tremendous, they put me at my ease and managed to get me through what I hope was an informative interview about Shirley, Breast Cancer Care, the effects it has on your life, our fund raising and The Breast Cancer Care Trek China 2009.  Much of the interview was quite rightly aimed at Cancer awareness and what support and help is out there, that said I hope I got across the personal aspect; that is how much we as a family miss Shirley and what a wonderful person she was.  We miss her so much........

Think there are going to be articles in The Chi/Bognor Observer this week and on my return, watch this space.

Almost departure day.  THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAVE GIVEN US THEIR SUPPORT.

Love from Peter, Kay, Drew & Derrick.  More to follow on return.    x 

 

Update 10 November 2009.

Its taken a little time but I think I have just about come back to earth following the Breast Cancer Care Trek China trip.  What an AWESOME experience.  The journey, the Country, The Great Wall of China, the people and last but not least the marvellous people I went with.

The journey to China was long, a ten hour flight, but went smoothly, on arrival at Beijing airport which is vast, I was amazed that our baggage was at the carasel before we got there.  Straight to the Great Wall and our first Lodge accommodation, basic but comfortable, we would spend the next 6 nights in Lodges of this type.  Travelling to the Lodge by coach we met our guides for the Trek, Steven & Michael.  The countryside varied greatly from modern 1st class highway to farm tracks, the buildings were ultra modern sky-scrapers to shacks.  AWESOME

The trekking varied greatly from ground that was unrecognizable as The Great Wall, to sections of dilapidated/run down Great Wall where you realy had to be carefull where you put your feet, steep crumbling steps that it would be all too easy to fall down/off/up.  Then sections of The Great Wall that has been repaired and made good for commercial purposes, tourism, though even in those areas we did not meet many people.  The one over-riding constant was the climbing and decending, up, down, up, down, up, down..............up,down.

All this was taken in our stride in good humour with constant cries of Neeeeehow (Hello in Chinese) and enquires of where to go to the toilet. 

Whilst there was much laughter there were also moments of emotion and sadness, when many of us that had lost loved ones were overwhelmed by our feelings and overtaken by the beauty of our surroundings and took time to reflect what had brought us to The Great Wall of China.

Once the trekking was over we moved into our tourist mode; A Chines Kung Fu show with all the colour & splendor; the unusual pleasure of a foot massage.  The early morning visit to a Beijing Park where hundreds of locals were exercising or playing various mind games, cards, chess & majong. Tianeman Square, The Forbidden City and numerous other sites too many to remember, all lost in the hustle & bustle of a City of TWENTY MILLION people.

On the last Friday night before the majority of the group returned to UK we had a Celebration Dinner Night at which each member of the group received an award and certificate from the Breast Cancer Care Trek leader, Natalie Wing and her team of Simon from Kuoni & our Trek Doctor Sian.

On the Saturday the majority flew back to UK whilst a small group of us flew to Xian to tour the City, quite small, only EIGHT MILLION people, and go to see the Terracotta Warriers.  That word again AWESOME, the only one I can think of to describe the place but then I am a simple Yorkshireman. 

All to soon we were subjected to the long haul flight back to UK and reality.

Whilst the reason for our going is known to all, the heartbreak that started the journey known to many, the experience gave all involved, both on the Trek and back home, a purpose and focus by which to come to terms with their own personal circumstances.

To those wonderfull people that took part in the Trek with me..........THANK YOU!!!!!!  To those wonderfull people who stayed at home and supported me throughout...........THANK YOU!!!!!!

To date our fund raising stands at about £5,500.  AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!  Shirley would be proud of YOU!!!!!!!! xoxox

 

13 January 2010 - Final Update on THIS Challenge.................

Thanks to the help & support of many many people, Kay, Drew, Derrick & I have raised the fantastic sum of £6,352.62, with the group as a whole raising over £105,000 for Breast Cancer Care. 

Shirley would be so proud of you all.  Thank You.