Silent auction set to held in Stafford in memory of father who died from cancer
A woman who lost her father to cancer is set to hold a charity event near Stafford to help raise vital funds for MacMillan Cancer Support.
Jess Clark's father Anthony William Clark, aged 52, passed away in April 2019 following a diagnosis of liver and brain cancer in September 2018.
Now Jess, from Castle Vale in Birmingham, is hoping to raise more than £5,000 in her father's memory with an event at The Moat House.
The luxury manor house hotel, in Acton Trussell, had been due to host her wedding – but instead it will host the auction on November 12.
She said: "My dad passed away from cancer two years ago this month and then shortly after he passed my partner had proposed and we planned this fantastic wedding. Unfortunately we split up – I made the decision to split up which is awful at the best of times.
"The Moat House has been great and we talked through the different options available because I had already paid off the venue. They said 'we could give you some dinner vouchers' or a refund, but I thought to myself 'what do I want to do with the money?'
"I thought it would be a really nice tribute to my father to raise money for Macmillan and I won't be getting anything from the ticket sales at all. It feels nice to do something in memory of my dad."
The event will feature a three-course meal and a silent auction which will hopefully be available online – allowing people who can't be there in person to still take part, with a series of prizes on offer.
And all of the money from the event – including the ticket sales and the money from the auction – will be going directly to MacMillan, the 27-year-old said.
She added: "It's a massively emotional thing for me in terms of my dad. It's still quite difficult because it's still quite raw – it happened suddenly, only six months after his diagnosis, so having to relive that has been quite hard for me.
"And in regards to the venue, it's hard because it was where I was meant to be married. It's really tough, but my dad brought me up to stay positive and make the best of situations and turn something horrible into something positive."
A spokesman for MacMillan said on social media: "We are in awe of Jess' strength. She has gone through an immense journey and has still managed to do something so positive. Thank you so much, Jess."
For more information – and for companies who want to get involved by offering their services, donations or gifts – call Jess on 07747 161 110 or email macmillancharitydinner2021@hotmail.com
