Slam Dunk music festival to honour Stephen Sutton
A bank holiday music event in Wolverhampton will raise money in memory of tragic teenager Stephen Sutton, as it emerged another major rock festival has renamed its main stage after him.
Organisers helped Stephen tick off number 44 of his bucket list of dreams when he was allowed to crowd surf in a rubber dinghy at last year's Slam Dunk Festival in Wolverhampton.
Now they have decided to remember the 19-year-old, from Burntwood, who died earlier this month, by collecting money for the Teenage Cancer Trust during the day.
The festival will see more than 40 bands play across seven stages at the Civic Halls on Monday.
Manager Mark Blackstock said: "We are expecting a big crowd to turn out to Slam Dunk as usual but this year it will be especially poignant given Stephen's brilliant antics last year when he crowd-surfed in a dinghy to the Cancer Bats as part of his bucket list.
"While we don't want everyone crowd-surfing – that was Stephen's thing – we do want to remember him and support the charity he was so passionate about. Slam Dunk will be collecting money in his memory to donate to Teenage Cancer Trust."
In memory of Stephen, Slam Dunk organisers will be urging gig-goers to put spare change into buckets at entrance points to the festival and will then donate the funds to Teenage Cancer Trust.
Bosses at Download Festival, which takes place at Donington Park in Derby next month, announced they would be renaming the main stage after Stephen.
Stephen raised almost £4 million for Teenage Cancer Trust after his story captured the hearts of a nation. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, the teenager began raising money, and kept his thousands of followers up to date on Facebook.
