More than £30,000 has been raised in memory of a hugely popular Chester dad, almost a year after he lost his brave battle with a brain tumour.
March 28 will mark 12 months since father-of-two Danny Jones from Boughton passed away in his wife Tara’s arms following two and a half years of treatment for the grade 4 tumour, diagnosed only days after the couple discovered they were expecting their son Franklin in 2012.
Danny, 31, who also had a daughter Holly, 11, was extremely well known in Chester, largely due to his work as a former Chester FC Academy coach. and inspired scores of people to raise money in his honour for Brain Tumour Research, as well as the Franklin’s Star Charity, which Tara set up in Danny’s name.
Related : Tributes to 'remarkable' Danny Jones
Over the past year, Danny’s friends and loved ones have been steadfast in their determination to raise money for the charity, and the various fundraising events including marathons, the Three Peaks challenge, charity dinners and burlesque shows have raised an incredible £30,000 so far.
This month, as the first anniversary of his death approaches, Tara hopes that some other charity fundraisers will bring the amount closer to £40,000, including The Danny Jones Cup on March 22, a football event at Goals on Sealand Road which will involve children from the schools Danny coached at, and Wear a Hat for Brain Tumour Research on March 24.
Legacy
Chris Timms, deputy headteacher at St Oswald’s CE Primary School, who are taking part in The Danny Jones Cup, said: “Danny did so much work for Chester football and many of the children worked with him in some capacity.
“It is fantastic that his legacy lives on in the footballing opportunities still taking place. This is how he would have loved to be remembered.”
Speaking at a charity ball for Danny recently, Tara said: “£30,000 is a remarkable amount of money, we are so grateful. Since working with Brain Tumour Research we have uncovered really quite scary statistics to confirm that brain tumour research is woefully underfunded. Less than 1% of national cancer research is spent on brain tumours, but we can help to change that and I’m thankful for everybody’s support.”
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“Not long after Danny died I escaped to Spain for a few weeks and whilst there I read a widow's blog that said you’ll just about claw your way through Christmas and then the New Year will turn up and slap you in the face and it’s just the worst. So I said to a friend that we should use this as an opportunity instead- by the time I got home all the wheels were in motion for a charity ball, and what a cracking job my girls did with it.
“I could quote so many people to describe my husband - brave, inspirational, loyal, charming, cheeky, loving, one of a kind, the list goes on but I quickly realised I needed nothing more than his name. The strength of his legacy astounds me.”
To donate in Danny’s name, visit Tara's justgiving page.
