Regulars on cue for Rosemere
Regulars of Whittle-le-Woods’ Roebuck Inn joined local league players to compete in this year’s annual Stevie Dawes Pool Tournament at the pub, which raised £3,762 for its charity, Rosemere Cancer Foundation.
The donation was double the amount raised by last year’s competition and takes the total raised for Rosemere Cancer Foundation since the tournament was first played in 2017 to an incredible £11,860.77.
Organisers of this year’s event were Stevie’s brother and sister-in-law Andy and Shelley Dawes, longstanding organiser Andy Hardman and pub patrons Kaye Davies and Stuart Johnson, who were also among the 120 players.
The competition, which remembers pub regular, pool and horse racing fan Stevie, who lost his life to cancer in February 2017 aged 55, began in August with rounds played up until this month (November) when Shane Berry was victorious in the men’s final, Julia Aspinall in the women’s and Andy Hardman and Lance Williamson in the newly introduced doubles tournament.
Not only did the finals pack the pub with an audience that spread outside, they were also live streamed on Facebook.
Kaye said: “The great thing about the Stevie Dawes Pool Tournament is that not only does it raise funds for a fantastic local charity, it really brings the community together. Obviously, there are some serious pool players who take part but there are also many people who just participate for fun and especially in the doubles, where partnerships are drawn, new friendships are formed.
“It brings people together by giving them something in common. This makes it a fitting tribute to Stevie. I am quite new to the area so never met Stevie but he is remembered so well and so fondly by so many. Our men’s tournament winner even wore Stevie’s black pool playing t-shirt for the trophy presentation.
Hannah Leahy, fundraising assistant for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “Thank you to everyone involved in the organisation of this year’s tournament and tournament raffle and to everyone who played. Congratulations on such a well-supported and fiercely fought competition!
“It’s wonderful that this event survived the pandemic, which ended a lot of similar community activities but then it goes to show what Stevie meant to those who knew him. The tournament has raised an incredible amount in Stevie’s name for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, benefiting many local cancer patients.”
Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist radiotherapy and cancer treatment centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital.
The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk