West Ham United are delighted to announce a target to raise £50,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK this season.
Since being established in memory of the legendary West Ham and England captain by his widow Stephanie Moore MBE in 1993, the charity has raised nearly £19million for research and to raise awareness of bowel cancer - the disease which took the life of the great centre-back at the age of 51.
In the two decades since Moore's passing, more than 300,000 people have lost their lives to bowel cancer in the UK alone.
The club, which has worked closely with the charity for many years, has already raised more than £20,000.
To kick-start the initiative, Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has made a generous personal donation of £10,000. Manager Sam Allardyce followed suit by has kindly agreeing to donate the fee he receives for his weekly Evening Standard column to the Fund over the course of the 2012/13 season, raising more than £5,000 so far.
The club's Principal Partner SBOBET also got behind the initiative by marking the fourth anniversary of their partnership activity by donating £5,000.
Two home fixtures have also been designated as Bobby Moore Fund Awareness Matches - the Barclays Premier League visits of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on 25 February and 9 March 2013 respectively. The Spurs fixture will mark 20 years since Moore's tragic and untimely passing and the club is planning a fitting tribute to the great defender involving supporters and members of the Moore family.
Ricardo Vaz Te has also got in on the act, donating the boots in which he scored his unforgettable npower Championship Play-Off final winner for auction. The No12 has signed the footwear, and supporters should keep a close eye on the official website - whufc.com - for details of how and where to bid for a unique piece of Hammers memorabilia.
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said the club was delighted to be working closely with a charity that is close to the hearts of everyone associated with the Hammers.
"I am very proud that West Ham United and the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK will once again be working in partnership. Everyone at the club holds Bobby in the highest esteem and is committed to fighting the disease which robbed England of its finest-ever defender and captain.
"The work the Fund does is tremendous and for such an important cause and there is no doubt that It helps to save lives every single year. While raising the profile of such a worthy cause, we will be able to ensure Bobby's legacy lives on at the heart of his club."
Bobby Moore Fund Senior Manager Ali Cleveland welcomed the club's announcement, saying: "The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is grateful to be the beneficiary of West Ham's target to raise £50,000 for vital bowel cancer research and looks forward to working with the club this season."
You can also get involved by taking part in one of the many fundraising events and projects organised by the club.
Earlier this month, the Hammers further boosted their fundraising total by purchasing a table at the Bobby Moore Fund Celebrity Sports Quiz enabling assistant manager Neil McDonald, first-team squad members George Moncur, Sebastian Lletget and Matthias Fanimo as well Hammers fan and Olympic rowing Gold medallist Mark Hunter to attend the high-profile event. The event, which attracted around 500 people and was hosted by ITV football commentator Clive Tyldesley and Sky Sports presenters Jeff Stelling, Clare Tomlinson and Max Rushden and BBC Sport presenter Hazel Irvine, raised £224,202 for the charity.
In January, manager Sam Allardyce will be among the diners at a Dining With The Stars evening at the Grade I listed Gibson Hall in the heart of the City of London, when an exquisite five-course meal will be cooked by a group of Michelin starred chefs. Prices start from £250 per ticket, with VIP tickets and Chef's table tickets also available. To book tickets, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected]
If you would like to help West Ham to reach their £50,000 fundraising target and raise valuable funds for the Bobby Moore Fund, please email [email protected]
For more information about the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, click here.
About the Bobby Moore Fund
• The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK raises vital funds for research into bowel cancer and increases public awareness of the disease
• The Fund was set up by Stephanie Moore MBE in memory of her husband, footballer Bobby Moore, after his death from the disease in 1993, at just 51
• Since it was set up, the Fund has gone from strength to strength and now raises over £1.5 million every year through a variety of fundraising events with over £18.8 million pounds raised in total
• The charity also raises awareness through hard hitting campaigns such as 'There is Moore to know' featuring members of the England football team and delivered in partnership with the England Footballers Foundation
• For more information click here or visit the Bobby Moore Fund Facebook page here.
About Cancer Research UK
• Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research
• The charity's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives
• Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1861, click here or visit the Cancer Research UK Facebook page here.