Memories of a four-year-old who lost a brave fight with cancer inspires Mildenhall boot campers to raise more than £6,000 for research into the disease
A fund-raising challenge in memory of a four-year-old boy who lost his battle with a rare cancer in October has raised £6,030 for research into the disease.
Participants in the ABC shuttle run event held in Mildenhall at the weekend collected £5,100 in sponsorship and £930 on the day of the event through raffle tickets and a cake sale.
George Radcliffe, who lived in Isleham with his parents Lisa and David, died 18 months after he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma.
After hearing how bravely George had faced surgery, chemotherapy and weeks of radiotherapy, family and friends as well as total strangers began supporting a Just George page on the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) site which has now raised an incredible £66,500.
“George smiled and danced his way through his treatment, bouncing back from the challenges and showing incredible strength which resonated with all who met him,” said Lisa, former headteacher at The Shade and The Weatheralls primary schools in Soham.
“If this fund could go any way towards helping other families battling this horrendous disease then George’s incredible fight will have been for something.”
It was Sharon Williams, a friend of Lisa for more than 20 years, who told fellow members of Mildenhall’s ABC boot camp about George.
“When the bootcampers heard about George’s fight we knew we wanted to do something to help his family raise funds for research into the evil disease that took him away from them,” said Sharon.
“I was shocked when I found out that such a small part of the money raised by cancer charities went into research, especially into childhood cancer which needs specialist funding,” she added.
Sharon got together with boot camp owner Angela Joiner-Handy and together they organised Saturday’s four-hour test of stamina at Mildenhall Cricket Club.
Running from 10am to 2pm between two line markers, the group of boot camp regulars and others clocked up hundreds of miles between them, taking it in turns to don a costume of George’s favourite dinosaur.
