A UTTOXETER football team looking to reach its first ever Saturday league final is to mark the occasion by raising money in support of tragic Lisa Olham.
Uttoxeter Town will head into Saturdays match looking to reach their first ever league final while at the same time gaining support and raising money for the Three Peaks for Lisa fund-raiser.
The match will kick off at 1.30pm at Oldfields Sports Ground and will be dedicated to helping the cause as the 38-year-old was daughter of the club’s chairman Peter Douglas and sister to Town player Glyn Douglas.
The players will be passing over a cheque for £570 prior to the match after work from fund-raiser Jeremy Wilson last season in addition to all of the money from Saturdays programme sales.
There will also be some pitch side collections and wristbands for sale as the team said it looks to give a little back to the Douglas family after years of support from Mr Douglas and his wife Linda.
The Three Peaks for Lisa challenge will be held on the third weekend of June this year, which marks the anniversary of Mrs Oldham’s accident and her birthday, and will see her brother and a team of close friends and family attempt to climb the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within a 24 hour period.
The group, who also include club secretary Steve Caswell, captain Martin Gadsby as well as former players Marshall Black, Mark Ruddock and James McCarron, aims to raise a total in excess of £15,000 – which is more than £5,000 each for the Dove Valley First Responders, Midlands Air Ambulance and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham.
To succeed the group will travel over 450 miles, hike more than 26 miles and scale over 3,000 metres on some of Britain’s toughest climbs – all inside 24 hours.
Mr Gadsby, treasurer and captain of Uttoxeter Town, said: “We are asking for your help to support these fantastic causes.
“Since the idea was launched in November 2012, the support that the whole town of Uttoxeter has given to the challenge has been nothing short of breathtaking and to date over £6,000 has been raised towards the three charities.
“We ask anyone who can make the game to come along and support the campaign and hopefully help the football club reach their own milestone in what is turning out to be a memorable first season.”
The 3 Peaks for Lisa campaign has already received a ‘fantastic response to date’.
So far it has seen its 1,000th unique visitor to the website www.3peaksforlisa.com, had its 190th follower on Twitter @3peaks4Lisa and 2,500 wristbands have either been sold or distributed to local businesses. With all the support of the town, it has allowed the family to donate £3,500 to its three chosen charities.
Mother-of-two Mrs Oldham passed away on June 25 last year after a 12 day battle for life following a fire at her Wood Lane home as she was trying to light a bio ethanol burner.
She suffered 85 per cent burns in the fire and leaves behind her husband Richard and two children Douglas and Ellie. More information on Three Peaks for Lisa is available at www.3peaksforlisa.com
