Charity Focus
Firefighters ‘putt’ in the effort to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support
Four firefighters from Lancashire who completed a tough ‘Longest Day’ golf challenge, in memory of one of their colleagues who died from cancer, raised £1,170 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The ‘fore-midable’ team – who are based at Penwortham Fire Station – consisted of Adam Wagstaff, Anthony Palmer, Ben Dawe and Jim Aubrey-Williams, who played 72 holes in just one day in aid of the charity.
Their team, called Cuddyshack, was named after their friend and fellow firefighter Alastair Cudworth, who sadly passed away from cancer in January 2020, aged just 48.
Cuddy, as he was known to family and colleagues, served as a firefighter for 26 years. He was also a keen amateur footballer and founder member of Whittle Wanderers FC, which he went on to become club secretary and team manager after he hung up his boots.
They played four rounds at Leyland Golf Club, after teeing-off – with glow in the dark balls – for their first round at around 5am and finished 14 hours and 17 minutes later at around 7.17pm! Together they clocked up just over 21 miles and have since smashed their initial target to raise £1,170 for the cancer charity.
Adam explains: “We took on this challenge in memory of our beloved friend and colleague Alastair ‘Cuddy’ Cudworth, who sadly passed away after an intense battle with cancer. He is dearly missed and thought about every time we walk through the doors or take on any sporting event. We know he would have been cheering us on and also laughing at us too!
“We wanted to raise awareness and funds for Macmillan and continue Cuddy’s fight on his behalf. Unfortunately, so many people are touched by cancer in one way or another, that we thought it was the right thing to do and try and give something back and help ensure other families affected by cancer get the much-needed support from Macmillan, when they need it most.”
Cuddy’s colleagues at Lancashire Fire and Rescue are no strangers to raising funds for charity in his memory.
They have previously staged a charity car wash at Penwortham Fire Station for The Firefighters Charity, shortly after Alastair passed away, and then in 2021, Adam Wagstaff and Anthony Palmer, along with colleague Matthew Leathard, completed Macmillan’s 13-mile Yorkshire Dales Mighty Hike, which raised £1,159 for people affected by cancer.
Macmillan’s Longest Day Golf Challenge, which is now in its 23rd year, encourages teams of friends to play four rounds of golf in 24 hours. And the top four fundraising teams from across the country get the chance to win a free trip to Portugal to compete in the Longest Day Golf Challenge Finals.
longestdaygolf.macmillan.org.uk
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