Everyone at Rotherham United would like to say one final thank you to those who bought a ticket for the charity prize draw for Freddie Ladapo’s shirt which helped us to raise an amazing total of £5,487 to split between the Rotherham Hospice and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.
Our relationship with both of these amazing causes has been well-documented over the years and with the pandemic hitting charities hard, through the cancellation of countless fundraising events and other income-generating opportunities, we felt compelled to support them when this particular chance to do so arose.
Pictured: Anna Gott (Regional Fundraiser at Bluebell Wood), Freddie Ladapo and Anton Hill
We were incredibly proud to welcome representatives from both Rotherham Hospice and Bluebell Wood to AESSEAL New York Stadium on Monday afternoon, where the cheques were presented to the two charities, with winner of the signed and framed shirt Anton Hill, being presented with a piece of Millers history by the creator of it himself, Freddie Ladapo.
Pictured: Marie Hancock (Rotherham Hospice), Freddie Ladpo and Anton Hill
We know how kind and supportive our fans are – particularly of these two wonderful charities - but to see such a fantastic display of selflessness and generosity in the midst of a pandemic just reaffirms how proud we are to call them our own.
We would once again like to say the biggest of thanks to every single person who purchased a ticket and, in turn, supported two unbelievable organisations so close to us and the hearts of so many in the town.
Anna Gott, Regional Fundraiser at Bluebell Wood, said: “Rotherham United and its amazing fans have always been very supportive of Bluebell Wood and we’re over the moon that the raffle for Freddie’s iconic shirt was such a brilliant success.
“It’s been a challenging year for us from a fundraising perspective, with many of our events cancelled or postponed, so the funds raised through the raffle really will make a big difference to the children and young people in our care.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the club, its generous fans and to Freddie for scoring the goal that made it all possible.”
Alyce Clark, Community Fundraiser at Rotherham Hospice said: "The incredible support that Rotherham Hospice has received from the whole Rotherham United team and fans during the last year has been amazing, with Freddie’s raffle being the icing on the cake!
"It has increased morale at the hospice and made a key financial difference during a very challenging year, when our normal fundraising and retail activities have been impacted by the pandemic.
"We are so grateful to our Rotherham families for their generosity, thank you!"