The family of a Biggleswade woman who lost her battle with small cell ovarian cancer have raised £100,000 to help fund research into the disease.
Since Angela Butcher’s death in 2013, her family have been fundraising for the charity that meant so much to her in during her last few months.
The latest fundraising bid for The Eve Appeal’s Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Project was Angela’s Annual Charity Birthday Bash, which saw the family reach the impressive milestone of £100,000.
A ‘thank you’ party was held at the Bigglewade Social Club – where family members Linda, Mike and Mark Butcher provided a buffet for more than 100 guests.
While this was not a fundraising effort, a bumper raffle and donations raised an additional £387.05, putting them one foot forward in reaching the next milestone.
The evening ended with a balloon release in Angela’s memory.
The Eve Appeal took on the huge challenge to use Angela’s fund specifically for small cell ovarian cancer research.
In April 2016 a 15-month research project got off the ground at the UCLH and the Cambridge Genetic Research Centre, with the first small cell ovarian cancer Patient Research Registry and collaboration of international researchers.
Due to the rarity of this disease, the Butcher family is hoping to support the extension of research to a full five-year research programme followed by clinical trials, with foundations already secured for research over more than three years.
Fundraising is continuing, and on Saturday the family will join Anne Elliott-Flockhart at her annual Eve Appeal tea party – which aims to raise money and awareness of the disease during ovarian cancer awareness month.
Anne has also been an avid fundraiser for the charity, after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2007.
The Butcher family will support her with a sale table at Sandy Upper School, from 10am to 12 noon.
Mark Butcher and the rest of the family have also been nominated in this year’s Comet Community Awards in the Charity Champions category, recognising all of the charity work they have done in Angela’s memory.
Have a look at page 9 to read more about Mark’s nomination and how to get involved in the Comet Community Awards.
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