All ‘Smiles’ as youngsters gear
SUNDERLAND CITY JUNIORS HOLD CHARITY FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT AND FUN DAY IN MEMORY OF BRAVE MUM
A charity football tournament is being staged in memory of a brave Sunderland mum who tragically lost her fight to cancer earlier this year.
Sunderland City Juniors are gearing up to take part in the Smiles 4 Jayne Football Festival and Funday at the Russell Foster Centre, in Newbottle, on Monday in the hope of raising as much cash as possible for St Benedict’s Hospice, in memory of Jayne Woodhouse who died in June.
The event, which has been organised by the club, will see more than 40 teams take part, including its under-7s, under8s, under-9s and under-10s teams.
Under-10s manager Kristen Whitfield, 20, from Farrington Avenue, said: “Jayne’s family are involved in the tournament and they are over the moon with what we are doing.
“It is going to be a fantastic day.”
Mrs Woodhouse, was just 46 when she lost her brave battle with cancer, just days after seeing her son Ryan Gregory marry his childhood sweetheart Mel McGrory.
The popular mum, from Red House, was told she had terminal lung cancer in January and, despite the devastating news, selflessly threw herself into raising awareness and funds to help other Sunderland patients.
Now the tournament hopes to continue her fundraising efforts.
The first games kick off at 9am and the event will run until 4.30pm with more than 40 teams competing in around five games each across multiple pitches.
The event hopes to attract hundreds of people, who will be able to watch the games throughout the day and enjoy stalls, games and a tombola.
Miss Whitfield, whose under-10s team is coached by Craig Metcalfe, added: “I didn’t know Jayne personally but Joanne Campbell, the partner of our club chairman Phil McGuire, was friends with her, so we just wanted to get on board and help raise some money in her memory.
“Teams are being charged £35 entry, which will go towards paying for the venue and the referees, so everything raised will go towards the charity.”