A MAN’S tireless fundraising campaign in memory of his late brother has raised £23,000 for a North-East charity close to his heart.
Tom Heath, 26, from Redcar, started fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) after his brother died in a motorcycling accident in 2008.
GNAAS attended the scene of the accident but Matthew Heath, who was 18 at the time, sadly died.
Mr Heath has been fundraising ever since. He said: “This has been a real focus since my brother died and our aim is to stop other families going through what we have been through. We want to help save lives.”
The father-of-two organises race nights, boxing days and an annual charity football knockout at New Marske Sports Club in Redcar, where 32 teams battle it out to win the Matthew Heath Memorial Trophy.
The engineer at SSI Steel UK in Teesside, said: “The football tournament has been going since 2009 and hundreds of people now turn out, it has really grown each year. I have been amazed by everyone’s generosity and the lads at work have been a great support too. We don’t plan on stopping our activities anytime soon.”
Mr Heath and his friend Daniel Wilkinson also hold ProGression music events where DJs and MCs come together for a night of dance tunes with all the profits donated to GNAAS.
The next ProGression event is taking place on November 15, 8pm till late, at Spensleys Emporium in Middlesbrough and tickets are £10 on the door.
Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “We want to thank Tom for his generosity and ongoing support to the charity. The money he has raised will have saved lives in the region which is a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother Matty. Tom has produced something so incredibly positive out of this tragedy. He is an inspiration.”
To find out how you can help support GNAAS, browse the site or call 01325-487263.
Share
