“Mick, we’re with you”. That was the message from Prostate Cancer UK after teaming up with Luton City to change into the official shirt sponsor for Saturday’s Championship conflict with Cardiff Metropolis.
The Hatters host the Bluebirds at Kenilworth Street, a floor as soon as famously named because the Prostate Cancer UK Stadium, because the membership pays tribute to legendary former striker Mick Harford on the finish of a busy month of fundraising.
After the Hatters hero went public with information of his prostate most cancers prognosis, the membership rallied to help him, and because the begin of November 61 staffers, together with first workforce supervisor Nathan Jones, have taken half in Prostate United, a health problem that has united soccer golf equipment throughout the UK within the struggle in opposition to the illness.
The problem has seen the supercharged Luton workforce elevate an unbelievable £9,400 with the general determine for the third incarnation of the occasion hovering to over £71,000 to date.
To mark the ultimate fixture of the month, the Hatters have devoted the principle sponsorship house on their iconic orange shirt to proceed elevating consciousness of the most typical most cancers in males.
Prostate Cancer UK Director of Fundraising Nicola Tallet mentioned: “Mick, we’re with you. We’re proud to stand aspect by aspect with Mick Harford and Luton City this weekend, and it’s actually thrilling to see Prostate Cancer UK’s brand throughout the membership’s dwelling shirts for the sport in opposition to Cardiff Metropolis.
“For a few years Luton City and their fantastic supporters and workers have been part of the Prostate Cancer UK household, from internet hosting matchday collections to our bike rides and walks. However there’s been a lot greater than that; they’ve been trailblazers in amplifying the message about prostate most cancers – the most typical most cancers in males.
“From first workforce supervisor Nathan Jones and his first workforce workers to the membership’s media division, floor workers and workplace staff, they, like us, stand alongside membership legend Mick. We’re honoured and grateful they’re a part of our workforce.
“This initiative additional showcases our work in soccer and, with the assistance of Mick permits us to join with followers of Luton City, Cardiff Metropolis and supporters throughout the soccer neighborhood with an vital message. It additionally helps ship the funds to put money into lifesaving analysis to make prostate most cancers a illness the following technology of soccer followers needn’t worry.”
Luton have labored carefully with the main males’s well being charity for a number of years, holding a sequence of matchday collections and workers and supporters have taken half within the Soccer to Amsterdam bike journey and walked aspect by aspect with Sky Sports activities’ Jeff Stelling in his March for Males.
Again on March 24, 2015, the Hatters hosted Wycombe Wanderers within the newly-named Prostate Cancer UK Stadium, elevating funds and consciousness and drawing plaudits for his or her life-saving work.
Harford added: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the extent of help I’ve had in current months, and this newest gesture from the workers on the soccer membership is wonderful.
“Along with Nathan Jones, Gary Candy and the board, I needed to use my state of affairs to assist different individuals, and probably the most satisfying factor for me is to hear from so many Luton City followers and soccer supporters usually who’ve been to get themselves checked.
“Thanks to everybody who’s supporting Prostate United and, simply as importantly, thanks to everybody who’s getting the phrase on the market. It’s really easy to do, and it saves lives.”
Luton City CEO Gary Candy added: “When it was recommended we do one thing as a membership to present our help for our hero, our colleague and our pal, Mick, the Prostate United problem was the apparent selection. To then have 61 individuals enroll was overwhelming. It has enabled us to not solely elevate hundreds of kilos, however extra importantly, wider consciousness of the illness amongst our supporters and the soccer household.
“We now have robust hyperlinks with Prostate Cancer UK relationship again to renaming Kenilworth Street for the sport in opposition to Wycombe in our first season again within the League, and collaborating in Jeff Stelling’s walks, so the pure factor for us to do to mark the tip of the problem was to put on the charity’s brand on our shirts in opposition to Cardiff.
“It has been a powerful month for a few of us with our cycles and runs, however nothing like what Mick and so many males undergo with their therapy. If one individual sees our shirt this weekend, asks why we’ve finished it after which goes to get themselves checked, it would have been value it.”
Prostate United was created in 2018 by Rotherham United duo Stephen Gilpin and Ross Burbeary, who have been impressed to tackle a each day fundraising problem for Prostate Cancer UK following the demise of Stephen’s grandfather, Norman, from the illness in 2010.
The problem has seen a whole bunch of soccer membership workers run or cycle on daily basis every November to elevate funds within the struggle in opposition to a illness that kills one man each 45 minutes, with over £120,000 raised general to date.
This yr, greater than 300 workers members from greater than 40 golf equipment together with Wolves, Leeds United, Everton and Norwich have pledged to run or cycle on daily basis, with the England nationwide workforce additionally getting behind the problem by way of elite physio, Steve Kemp.
A handful of EFL and Nationwide League managers are additionally concerned, together with Rotherham boss Paul Warne, Hull Metropolis’s Grant McCann and Luton boss Jones and Southend United chief Kevin Maher.
To donate to Luton City’s Prostate United web page, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LTFCProstateUnited.
