Friends and family brought together by tragedy are hoping to raise £2,000 for Youth Cancer Trust by cycling between eight major South Yorkshire football clubs.
The fundraising is headed by Jamie Barton, chairman of Sheffield City FC, and his 15-year-old nephew, Cameron Barton.
Cameron lost two of his best friends to the Killamarsh tragedy in 2021, where Terri Harris, 35, her children, John Paul, 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, and Connie Gent, 11, were killed.
The children were doing their best to raise money for Youth Cancer Trust by selling sweets on the street shortly before they died.
Sheffield City FC are continuing their legacy by accomplishing what they were never able to finish.
Mr Barton said: “Cameron has been strongly affected by it so he has chosen to fundraise in their memory ever since.”
The group of six people is made up of Sheffield City FC teammates and Jamie’s 12-year-old daughter who has never cycled such a distance before.
They are preparing with lots of gruelling biking sessions in the gym, hoping to get their fitness up before the big day.
The ride will begin on the 16 March and hit the eight major football clubs in and around Sheffield.
It will start in Chesterfield and continue to Dronfield, Sheffield FC, Sheffield United, Hallam, Sheffield Wednesday, Stocksbridge, and finally finish at the Olympic Legacy Park.
The group will arrive just in time for kick-off of Sheffield City FC’s last game of the season and they hope to continue fundraising after the game too.
Mr Barton said: “We know times are really tough money-wise for people at the moment, but just a couple of quid means something.
“Any little bit of help, even if it’s not for our charity, will make a world of difference for people who are struggling right now.”
They are currently at £730 of their £2,000 target and although Cameron says that this target is aspirational, he hopes people will pull together in support after seeing their commitment to the cause.
Mr Barton has described how appreciative Youth Cancer Trust has been for their fundraising, contacting Cameron frequently and sending t-shirts and words of encouragement on social media.
“It’s nice to feel that we haven’t got lost, they contacted us straight away.” Mr Barton said.
This takes place against the backdrop of Cancer Prevention Week, where charities are campaigning for people to take steps to make small, consistent changes to their lifestyles to avoid preventable cancers.
If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe for this campaign, follow this link: Fundraiser by Jamie Barton : Sheffield City Charity Ride (gofundme.com)
Image credit: Youthcancertrust.org
