Family and friends of Afghanistan victim Graham Shaw raise thousands to help wounded soldiers
Oct 23 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner
THE family of Afghan conflict victim Graham Shaw have raised tens of thousands to help wounded soldiers.
And they have pledged: “There is a lot more to come”.
Lance Cpl Shaw, of Golcar, died while serving with the Yorkshire Regiment in the strife-torn Helmand Province earlier this year.
Now his family are determined to do all they can to help other troops from the regiment and so far, they have raised more than £65,000.
The bulk of the money has come in the form of a donation from Freemasons in West Yorkshire, but many thousands have been raised by a series of events in Huddersfield and across Yorkshire.
They will be collecting this weekend but the next planned event is on November 12, when Elland WMC will host a charity raffle and bands night, featuring music from local groups.
Graham’s cousin, Stacey Fitzgibbon, is one of those behind the fundraising, along with another cousin Rhianna Dyson.
Stacey said: “We are determined to do what we can to help the regiment’s benevolent fund.
“Many people don’t get to know about the injured soldiers but we want to help.
“Several people did a 10k run in Sheffield to help the fundraising and other events have included garden parties.
“We hope the bands night will be a success and we are also in the middle of organising other events, including a charity ball planned for next July and a 10k run in Huddersfield early next year”.
Stacey and other family members will also be out and about at the Birstall Retail Park near Junction 27 of the M62 this weekend, collecting cash for the regiment’s benevolent fund and for Help for Heroes.
They will be joined by soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment – with a little “long distance” support from three Giants stars.
Leroy Cudjoe, Luke Robinson and Eorl Crabtree had hoped to join the squaddies at a fundraising event for the Help for Heroes.
But their selection for the England squad to contest the Four Nations tournament in Australia and New Zealand put paid to those plans.
