Delight as memorial fund reaches £125k
A memorial fund set up by the parents of a Cheslyn Hay boy who died of meningitis has reached £125,000 – way beyond the original expectations of organisers.
As well as paying tribute to the efforts of fundraisers, parents Andy and Georgina Keeling have also turned their attention to raising awareness of the killer disease as the winter months approach.
Their son Liam, a Wyrley Juniors player, died in October 2009, two weeks after celebrating his 13th birthday.
His devastated parents from Cheslyn Hay, immediately set up a fund to raise money for Meningitis UK.
The money is aimed at helping the charity reach its £7 million target to fund research into a vaccine for the strain B form of the disease which killed Liam.
Liam Keeling Forever Fund committee member Richard Holmes said today: "We have massively surpassed our targets. We never had a particular vision of how much we wanted to raise but we never expected to raise this amount in such a short time."
Supporters have raised money by organising entertainment evenings, walking up mountains, cycling and even being waxed to help drive up the total. The next fundraising event is being held at Old Wyrley Hall on November 24 with music from local band, The Primes.
The committee will also be hosting its annual Charity Sporting Evening at Walsall FC on March 1 next year.
Liam, a Year 8 pupil at Cardinal Griffin RC High School in Cannock, was a promising midfielder for Wyrley Juniors under-13s Panthers, feeder club to Walsall FC.
Mr and Mrs Keeling, who also have a daughter Hannah, have vowed to continue fundraising until a vaccine is found for the strain B form.
Mrs Keeling also urged other parents to be vigilant and keep watching for the signs of the disease.
