Look To The Stars News: Leukaemia Research

Stephen Fry To Host Leukaemia Research Event

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0000

Stephen Fry will be the latest guest of the ‘A Special Audience’ events to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

The event, on Sunday 18th October at the Criterion Theatre in London, will enable Fry to share the highlights of his extraordinary life. The audience will also have the opportunity to direct questions to Stephen.

Alastair Campbell, Ed Victor and Alan Yentob will also be present. Victor’s own experience with being diagnosed with leukaemia led to the creation of the ‘Special Audience’ idea to push forward development of research.

A champagne reception featuring Stephen Fry, Alastair Campbell, Ed Victor and Alan Yentob will be held at 6:30pm before the actual performance at 8pm. Tickets for both are £125, whilst seats for the show only range from £25 to £50.

For enquiries and to book tickets, contact Sophie on 020 7685 122 or email sgarrett@lrk.org.uk

Nigella Lawson Cooks Up Cakes For Charity Un-Birthday

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British charity Leukaemia Research is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, and celebrity chef Nigella Lawson is supporting their latest fundraising campaign.

The chef helped a group of children whip up some special fairy cakes for an “un-birthday” party last week. The campaign has been inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass, where Alice is told un-birthdays can be celebrated 364 days a year.

“My fairy cakes go down well with nostalgically-minded adults while children just pick off or lick off the icing,” said Nigella. “Anything that is too hard or too fiddly can be daunting but everyone can help Leukaemia Research by making a batch of my fairy cakes and throwing an Un-Birthday Party fundraiser.”

The charity is encouraging children of all ages to throw “un-birthday parties” to raise funds for the organization. Supporting doctors and scientists at hospitals and academic institutions throughout the UK, Leukaemia Research funds a wide range of projects, from basic laboratory research to clinical trials with patients. The charity is devoted exclusively to leukaemia, the lymphomas, myeloma, aplastic anaemia, myelodysplasia, the myeloproliferative disorders and the related blood disorders in both children and adults.

To find out more about the campaign and get Nigella’s special recipe, click here.

Kate Winslet Draws Butterflies For Leukaemia Research

Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Kate Winslet, Tony Blair, Ricky Gervais, Sophie Dahl and Stephen Fry are among the stars who have donated their own drawings of butterflies for a new charity book.

The book aims to raise money for Leukaemia Research, an organization in the UK that is dedicated exclusively to leukaemia, the lymphomas, myeloma, aplastic anaemia, myelodysplasia, the myeloproliferative disorders and the related blood disorders in both children and adults.

The sketches, paintings and poems will be published in the Butterfly Book, in memory of charity fundraiser Claire Wadley, a 25-year-old who died from leukaemia.

“I decided to write to well-known public figures and invite them to draw, sketch or doodle a picture of a butterfly, enclosing a piece of card with each letter,” said Laura-Jane Foley, who organized the book. “Claire’s story touched so many people and I was overwhelmed by the response.”

80 famous names have contributed to the book, and it is available for £25. A limited edition costs £100 and has one piece of original artwork. All profits from book sales go to the Claire Elizabeth Wadley Forget Me Not Fund for Leukaemia Research.

To find out more, or to buy the Butterfly Book, visit the official website or email info@thebutterflybook.co.uk.

Sir Ian Botham Swings A Club For Leukaemia Research

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

English sports legend Sir Ian Botham swapped his cricket bat for a golf club in a recent tournament that raised over US$100,000 for charity in Spain.

The former cricket captain – who completed his twelfth long-distance walk through Britain for charity in October – was among a host of professional sports stars who played in the Sir Ian Botham Charity Golf Classic at the Desert Springs Resort and Golf Club last month to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

As well as leading a golf tournament that featured Ian Woosnam, Dennis Taylor, Steve Cram, and Matt Dawson, Sir Ian also hosted a gala dinner and auction that included lots such as the chance to play a round of golf at Desert Springs with 2006 Ryder Cup Captain and US Masters Champion Ian Woosnam OBE, and the opportunity to attend a private dinner at Coutts Bank with Sir Ian Botham.

“The commitment of my sporting celebrity friends to give up their time and the players that have entered the event will guarantee, great golf, great fun, great friendship and most of all, the raising of those much needed funds for the charity of which I am President, Leukaemia Research,” said Sir Ian.

The golf tournament followed a similar event hosted by Sir Ian and Boyzone’s Ronan Keating in Scotland in September.

Ian Botham's Charity Walk Ends Successfully

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British cricket legend Sir Ian Botham has completed his 12th long-distance walk for charity.

The 52-year-old former test captain walked 140 miles through nine towns in England and Scotland to raise money for Leukaemia Research.

“It has gone very, very well,” he told England’s Sunday Sun newspaper. “I think it has been extremely successful and the public have responded magnificently. In the buckets we are approaching about a quarter of a million or more, but that is just what we have collected physically on the road. There is all the sponsorship money to come after that. It is always nice to get the job done. There will be a little bit of a celebration tonight and then I’m on holiday.”

Sir Ian has raised over £12 million (US$20 million) since completing his first walk in 1985 – 900 miles from the northern most tip of Britain to the most southerly point.

Ian Botham - 12 Not Out For Charity

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former English cricketer Sir Ian Botham is to set off on his 12th long distance charity walk this weekend.

The 52-year-old former test captain has raised over £10 million (US$20 million) for Leukaemia Research since his first 900-mile trek from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 1995. Last year he was knighted for his efforts.

“When we set out on our first march from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 1985, the chances of survival for leukaemia patients was only 20 per cent,” said the cricket star, who was inspired to do something positive for children’s cancer research after meeting sick children while in a Taunton hospital for treatment on a broken toe. He accidentally walked into a children’s ward and was horrified to learn that some of the children had only weeks to live. “With the necessary funding, I’m told we can raise the bar to 95 per cent in the next 10 years which would be a fantastic achievement in such a short timespan. I wont stop until there is a 100 per cent cure.”

Sir Ian will start his latest trek today, October 10, in Taunton, Somerset, where he started his cricket career, and finish in Durham on Saturday 18 October, where he played his last match. The route in between will take him through Windsor, Tunbridge Wells, Bury St Edmunds, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Llandudno, Harrogate and Milngavie near Glasgow.

“It can be a bit lonely, but this time we’re doing towns and cities so you tend to be in population all the time,” he said. “We found it a bit difficult in the wilds along the A9 collecting from the sheep so this time we can collect money along the route.”

For a detailed map of Sir Ian’s route, or to make a donation to the cause, visit his official website.

Sir Ian Botham Invites You To Join Him On Charity Walk

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

English cricket legend Sir Ian Botham is planning his 12th long distance charity walk to raise money for research into leukaemia – and this time, members of the public are invited to walk with him.

This year’s walk will be taking place for 9 days between October 10 and 18 and will visit 9 towns throughout the UK. As with Sir Ian’s previous walks, sponsorship money and donations will go to Leukaemia Research, a British charity dedicated to blood disorders in children. Childhood leukaemia is the single largest cancer-killer in children and Leukaemia Research needs over £100 million (US$200 million) to commit to new research in the next five years.

“When I started my first walk back in 1985, children diagnosed with leukaemia had just a 20% chance of survival,” said the 52-year-old former cricket captain. “Today it is an 80% chance. I won’t stop walking until there is a cure but I need your help.”

A special section of each town the walk travels through will be set aside for people to join Sir Ian in his ramble. The walk is open to everyone but if you are under 16 you will need to be accompanied by an adult, and organizers are encouraging each person to raise a minimum of £250 in sponsorship. People interested in joining the walk should register on Sir Ian’s website, and walkers will have the chance to hand their sponsorship money directly to Sir Ian before they begin their leg of the journey.

“Every penny counts,” said Sir Ian. “We can beat childhood leukaemia if we work together to raise as much money as possible.”

Sir Ian Botham Awarded For Charity Work

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former English cricket captain Sir Ian Botham has been awarded an honorary degree for his sporting feats and his charity work.

The 52-year-old cricket legend received the degree at the Leeds Metropolitan University, where British Lions rugby coach Ian McGeechan praised him for his charity fundraising walks which have netted over £5 million (US$10 million) for Leukaemia Research, an organization that helps children with the disease. Botham has led 11 long-distance walks to raise money for the foundation, which he was inspired to start in 1985 when he had to visit a Taunton hospital for treatment on a broken toe. During his stay at the hospital, the batsman was shocked into action when he stumbled into a children’s ward and witnessed the suffering of patients with leukaemia.

Since then, the chances of survival for a child with leukaemia has risen from 20% to 80%.

“That is remarkable in such a short period of time,” he said during last week’s ceremony. “If we can and we are able to defeat leukaemia…just think how many doors that could open for other forms of cancer, and that’s what keeps us going.”

Botham will launch another charity walk in October, when he will make his way around a series of UK cities. More information can be found at www.bothamwalk.com.

Botham Knighted For Fundraising Efforts

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:21:46 -0000

Written by Gavin Fearnley

British cricket legend Ian Botham has been knighted in recognition of his outstanding fundraising efforts.

The all-rounder is estimated to have raised around £10m (around $20m) for Leukaemia Research through a series of long-distance charity walks.

The 51-year-old became the first player to score 5,000 runs in the sport that made him famous.

Speaking after the Queen’s Birthday Honours were announced he said he was “delighted”.

He cites as his inspiration a chance visitation to a children’s ward whilst recovering from a toe injury, admitting he was shocked to learn some of the youngsters had just weeks to live.

Botham has since completed eleven walks, starting in 1985 with a gruelling 1500 kilometre hike spanning the length of Britain from John o’ Groats to Land’s End.

That fundraising has continued since and earlier this month he headed an all-star golfing day at Scotland’s Gleneagles Hotel.
The event, in Perthshire, was co-hosted by former Boyzone front man Ronan Keating.

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