This year’s successful 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser saw a number of money-can’t-buy items available to Wolves fans through online auctions and raffles, including a signed squad shirt, signed Joao Moutinho boots worn during the historic win over Manchester United and a signed, match worn shirt from the captain Conor Coady.
The sports medicine team were inspired to support the charity after former goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with blood cancer in the summer of 2017, and this year’s figure tops the £5,500 raised in 2020 through a similar auction.
Shortly after Ikeme was diagnosed, Wolves fans and staff mobilized in support of the goalkeeper, raising over £150,000 for Cure Leukaemia, enabling the charity to complete the funding required to expand the internationally renowned Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Four years later, the Wolves medical department, led by Ollie Leaper, and fans of the old gold and black, continue to support the charity that announced its nationwide expansion in January 2020.
We would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has bid on our @Wolves auctions, courtesy of @WolvesSportMed
— Cure Leukaemia (@CureLeukaemia) January 11, 2022
We are pleased to announce that the winner of the @JoaoMoutinho boots was Andy Laverie and pushed our fundraising total past the £9️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ mark! 🤩🤩🤩 #CLFamily pic.twitter.com/6LJNVvSb3G
All funds raised from The 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser go towards funding specialist research nurses across the UK which form the Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP). This network, which is co-ordinated by its Hub based at the CCH in Birmingham, connects blood cancer patients from a catchment area of over 20 million people with potentially lifesaving treatments through pioneering clinical trials.
On the fundraiser, Leaper said: “We are delighted to have raised such a fantastic amount for Cure Leukaemia through raffles and auctions. We are so grateful to the players and staff who donated the items and, of course, the fans for taking part to raise such a fantastic amount.
“Wolves have been closely linked with Cure Leukaemia since Carl Ikeme’s diagnosis and we are proud to keep that association going, knowing the funds go directly to helping save the lives of blood cancer patients across the UK.”
Cure Leukaemia chief executive James McLaughlin added: “Our sincere thanks once again go out to the sports medicine team at Wolves, who have raised the bar with their auctions and raised a significant amount of money for Cure Leukaemia.”
