All good things must come to an end. Our fundraising is no different. In 2018 we were approached by a wonderful guy. He’s a teacher, who taught our son, and also plays bass in a rock covers band. He offered to play a free gig to help us raise money for the charity of our choice. And so it began………… we approached a friend who runs a small venue and he offered his club free of charge. He also suggested inviting other bands to play and then set about getting some signed posters and other prizes for a raffle. We spoke to some musician friends and secured a cracking five band line up. We also approached musicians and local businesses for raffle prizes and were blown away by the response. It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows us that we chose Macmillan Cancer Support as our charity.
My wonderful sister and brother in law who have been a firm support since my diagnosis got involved by asking for donations in lieu of wedding presents……how awesome is that?? That first year we raised £8,748, every penny of which was donated to Macmillan in NI and some of which the charity allowed us to use to create the Riverbank Relatives Room in Causeway Hospital. This room is something we remain hugely proud of, and we have never stopped being grateful to the people who made it happen…. there are small ‘tips of the hat’ to them in the room.
The first gig went so well, we were persuaded to do it again…..and again…..and again…….and again!! Five gigs in six years, with just one year missed due to the covid pandemic……overall total raised for Macmillan in NI??
£26,550!!
Not bad going. Whilst we will always be proud of our fundraising, we’ll never underestimate the size and diversity of the team that made it happen…….To quote rock band, Black Stone Cherry (who I’m led to believe were quoting an African proverb……at least in the first section of this quote!!) ”It takes a village to raise a child, it takes an army to walk a mile.”
Personally I think our team have walked significantly more than a mile, and probably even more than Craig and Charlie Reid!
To an outsider looking in, we organised a ‘thing’ and raised money. Inside was very different…..I often felt like Oliver, begging bowl constantly out, looking for bands, prizes, cash, raffle tickets, t-shirt and gig ticket buyers. In reality the work involved lasted most of the year, and we were both working at the same time. So this year we decided we’d done enough. We need head space. We still donate to Macmillan and a number of other cancer charities on a monthly basis, but the gig is done. I’d be lying if I said the end hasn’t brought a huge sense of relief. We’ve done our bit but now it’s time for us to think about us.
That’s turned into a much longer post than I had anticipated!! Quick update on everything else……
Health wise I remain on a bit of a rollercoaster, but the peaks and troughs don’t seem quite so insurmountable. Anxiety remains the biggest challenge, but I guess that’s to be expected. I am also a human barometer, a slave to the weather. According to my 6-monthly scans, my tumour remains on its best behaviour and I do everything within my power to keep it happy and avoid facing its wrath. Relationships wise, our circle is tighter but filled with genuine friendships. The drama lovers have mostly removed themselves.
In general, life is good. We both move a bit slower, but we rarely take each other, or the happy life we get to live, for granted.
Life is different, there is a shadow that we can’t escape. Sometimes it seems very long and covers much of our day, but more often it passes over like a cloud.
