A WORLD-LEADING cancer hospital is to dedicate a plaque to the memory of a popular young Kendal man and the tireless fundraising efforts of his family and friends.
Daniel Bescoby, a keen sportsman and former junior captain of Kendal Golf Club, died of cancer at the Christie Hospital in Manchester in July 2021, aged 27.
Daniel and his parents Claire and Tim Bescoby began to fundraise for the Christie last year, organising a charity golf day that Daniel was due to take part in.
But he became too ill and died so the golf day was extended and postponed until June this year, and held in Daniel's memory.
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Claire has revealed that their fundraising efforts in the last year - culminating in the golf days - has raised a staggering £71,257.27.
"Our target was £2,000 when Dan set it off last year", said Claire.
"It was originally set up for the golf day last year, which obviously couldn't go ahead, but I think we'd raised £13,000 before Dan passed away, and then obviously it went a bit crazy after."
The total on the Bescobys' Justgiving page stood at around £55,000 before the golf days, and Claire attributed their success to a "team effort".
"We had a huge raffle, a prizegiving, and everyone was really generous," she said.
"The golf club said it was the busiest they'd ever seen it. It was very well-supported both days - I think there we around 220 people playing altogether.
"We had a halfway house, and lots of help from volunteers. The greenkeepers were up at 4am getting the course ready. It was a whole team effort, and it all went really well.
"A lot of my friends helped, coming to do two-hour shifts, a lot of the guys took turns maintaining the course, the bar staff, the caterers, everybody pulled together, it was a whole Kendal Golf Club friends and family get-together.
"Greg Dixon who organised the event, and Simeon Barsby, Dan's friend, sorted the golf side out and I sorted most of the raffle prizes out, from local businesses and friends and family.
"It was a nice, beautiful day on Thursday and on Friday morning, it was a bit wet when I was up there at 6.30 am, but after that, it was lovely and bright.
"There's a plaque going on the wall with Dan's name at the Christie, from all the family and friends of Dan for raising so much money, we're absolutely thrilled.
"There are 30 of us doing the Manchester half marathon on October 9 - we've set up another Justgiving page for that, as that'll be very much a group effort."
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