Staff from the breast screening office at Kettering General Hospital have raised £6,000 for the Crazy Hats Appeal following a year-long series of imaginative fundraising ventures.
Events have included encouraging local sports stars to pose naked for a charity calendar and a live ‘Fully Monty’- style strip tease by Geddington Volunteer Fire Service.
Breast screening office manager Sue Collins and her colleagues, deputy office manager Sheila Brett, breast secretary Karen Screeton, appointments clerk Alyson Bennett, and administrators Chris Fraterrigo, Bridget Sharp, Nicola Huggins, and x-ray helper Pat Grimmett, have all worked together to raise the enormous sum.
Sue said: “It has been a fantastic year and we have been absolutely thrilled by the support we have received from many members of staff at the hospital, from local companies and from local celebrities who were more than willing to give up their time to help us raise money for Crazy Hats.
“One of our biggest challenges this year was to produce the ‘Fabulous Fellas’ charity calendar which we sold from October 2009 (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) - to February, 2010.
“We managed this with the help of stars from Kettering Town Football Club, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club , Rushden & Diamonds Football Club, Northants Saints Rugby Club, two KGH Treatment Centre porters, a local soldier currently serving in Afghanistan, and staff family members and friends.
“John Castka (Lamb & Holmes) took the photographs for us and the cost of producing the calendar was met by Seagrave Developments. 300 calendars were produced and these were sold at £5, we still have 10 left if anyone wants one!!
“In October we held a Pink Party in the Social Club where we sold out our 200 tickets. This was attended by some of the calendar guys, helping out as topless waiters, selling raffle tickets, goody bags (all goods donated by local companies, including Avon & Body Shop) and of course the calendar.
“There was a chocolate fountain, dance demonstrations by Harwen Stompers (Line Dancing) and Salsa Solamente (Salsa Dancing) and the evening ended on a high with Geddington Volunteer Fire Brigade putting on a number of skits, culminating in a re-creation of the famous Full Monty sketch.
“Carol from CK Photography came along and took lots of photographs (funnily enough everyone wanted photos with the topless waiters!!).
“We also held monthly sales at the hospital supported by staff, raffles, quiz nights, Swish Parties (where people exchanged unwanted clothes), we sold Crazy Hats merchandise, had a cake day and were supported by fundraising from individual members of KGH staff – for example IT technician Chris Wright who raised £350 by riding a former Australian Post Office motorcycle 2,000 miles from Brisbane to Melbourne in October 2009.
“I would like to thank all of the individuals, companies and organisations who have supported our fundraising which has all gone to the Crazy Hats Appeal.”
“This year we hope to at least match the total raised, and are planning another Pink Party with a different theme, A Spring Swish in April, along with the usual raffles and events.
Crazy Hats Appeal Founder Glennis Hooper said: “I have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that the KGH breast office team have shown in raising money for us.
“I think it is amazing that staff who work everyday in a department supporting people with breast cancer then spend so much of their free time raising money helping them as well.
“The amount of work they have put into fundraising has been phenomenal and they know that the money they raise comes back to KGH through our many targeted donations to the hospital.
“I would like to thank them – and all their supporters – for their dedicated and continued support.”
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