It’s over a year since we lost our beautiful son Oliver to sarcoma, a very rare form of cancer, and to celebrate his life and to raise much needed funds and awareness of this rare disease, teachers from Oliver’s former 6th Form College and High School St. Hilda’s in Liverpool are taking part in a huge 53 mile relay race in his honour on Saturday 4th May to raise money for Sarcoma UK.
St Hilda's High School staff take on a huge challenge every year in support of a special charity for Teenage and Young Adults Cancer Awareness Month and this year they will be running in Oliver's memory.
The gruelling route will take the runners along the Liverpool and Wirral coastlines, including two ferry crossings over the River Mersey. All the money raised from this challenging campaign will be donated to Sarcoma UK.
Headteacher of St. Hilda’s, Jo Code, said: "Oliver was a truly remarkable student whose warmth, spirit, and zest for life touched the hearts of everyone at St. Hilda's. His legacy lives on through our collective determination to improve outcomes for others facing this devastating disease.
"We are honoured to raise funds for a charity dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of the very cancer that took Oliver from us. The relay will start at St. Hilda's, where a tree stands as a living memorial to Oliver. In years past, our community has raised over £30,000 for charity. This year, propelled by Oliver's inspiring memory, we hope to make this our most impactful fundraiser yet."
Sarcoma UK’s Director of Communications and Fundraising, Kerry Reeves-Kneip, said: "Oliver’s death from melanotic malignant nerve sheath tumour, especially at such a young age, was very sad. We have funded research into the genetic underpinnings of sarcoma, yielding critical insights into malignant nerve sheath tumours. We will continue to invest in research to develop innovative ways of treating this insidious disease. Inspirational fundraising efforts like those undertaken by the St. Hilda's community fuel our ability to invest in life-changing research while providing much-needed support to cancer patients and their loved ones."
Sarcoma UK is a national charity that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma cancer and campaigns for better treatments. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in the bone and soft tissue and once diagnosed it is one of the hardest to treat. By donating in memory of Oliver, you can help change this. Your donation will help researchers find answers, keep the specialist Support Line open, and raise awareness to improve treatment and standards of care. Your donations go so far in helping the sarcoma community:
£1 Could cover the cost of 10 texts to the support line.
£10 Could be used to buy microscope slides to look at cells in minute detail.
£30 Could fund one hour of use of a high-powered laboratory microscope.
£150 Could fund the support line for a week.
To support the St Hilda's Staff Relay Supporting Sarcoma UK and The Oliver Park Fund please visit Just Giving and help make a difference.
On behalf of my whole family, a massive thank you for the support you have shown us since losing Oliver over a year ago and to the wonderful staff at St Hilda’s for keeping Oliver’s memory alive and for undertaking this momentous task. Me, Jen and Ben really do appreciate it.
