Members of a Huddersfield hockey team swapped their usual kits for some striking orange attire to score a goal for Stand Up To Cancer.
Canalside Terriers player and cancer survivor Janet Blackburn, 67, bullied off by donning a Stand Up To Cancer T-shirt, orange hockey stick and stripy orange socks, while team mates wore orange tutus, ribbons and wigs.
Even team mascot, labrador Molly, was decked out in an orange wig and T-shirt as part of Stand Up To Cancer’s “stand out” challenge.
Janet and her team mates – including daughter Alex – hope other sports clubs, schools, businesses, friends and individuals will follow their game plan to wear a “stand out” item of orange and get sponsored to help raise awareness and money for vital research.
This year’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign culminated with a night of live TV on Channel 4 on Friday night led by a host of celebrities.
Janet, who lives at Outlane , said: “We had great fun mixing up our traditional blue and white kit before Saturday’s match, with orange stripy socks, tutus, wigs and even an orange hockey stick and ball. We definitely made our opponents take notice as they arrived at the pitch!”
Janet began playing club hockey aged 21 and joined Canalside Terriers in 2004. Currently, they play in the Yorkshire Division II and range in age from students all the way to five of them well into their 60s.
Janet said: “I love playing hockey with the Canalsiders for the exercise, the banter and the friendship. And like me and Alex, there are five mothers and daughters in our team.
“We don’t train, we just turn up on match days and play, which suits us better, but we still finished mid table in the league last year.”
Janet, a retired PE teacher and former vice-principal at a college in South Elmsall, was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 45. She underwent surgery, radiotherapy and a five-year course of medication before getting the news she was all clear.
Janet, who is married to fellow retired teacher Barry, 68, said: “It was a huge shock when I was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter Alex was 12 and my son Aidan was only 10 at the time and I was terrified that I wouldn’t be around to see them grow up. But now I have four lovely grandchildren too, the youngest only a couple of months old.”
For more see standuptocancer.org.uk
