MORE than £2,500 has been raised in memory of a mother who died of breast cancer which will be used to kick-start a scheme to help youngsters play football.
Sarah Hanson Powell was just 41 when she died in 2011, leaving her husband Dean and son Oliver, who is now ten.
Before she died, her family, friends and locals in Silkstone decided to do a sponsored walk to raise money to help her and her family.
Since her death, they have continued Sarah’s Walk and raised money for different charities.
This year, the walk is being used to launch Sarah’s Goal, a non-profit charitable organisation which will help children and teenagers play football.
It took place earlier this month, and raised £2,513. So far, Sarah’s Goal has helped three boys whose mother has died of breast cancer, and whose father is receiving end of life care for lung cancer. The boys’ annual football subs have been covered by Sarah’s Goal.
Sarah’s sister Helen Knight, 47, of Towngate, Silkstone, said: “The walk went really well, there were 48 of us who did it. The landlord in the Red Lion shaved his head and we asked the cricket clubs to let us collect around the cricket pitches and they said yes, we got quite a lot of money from there.
“We raised £355 from the raffle and a girl called Amy Blower, who is having treatment for cancer gave us a £50 donation. She was supporting us because we helped her with a walk.
“We have also just sponsored the Barnsley Schoolgirls’ kit and their first game was last Saturday in their Sarah’s Goal kits.”
Sarah’s Goal has been nominated in this year’s Proud of Barnsley awards.
