Oliver raises £750 in memory of grandad
A nine-year-old Sunderland lad has raised more than £750 in memory of his grandad.
Oliver Davison, from Barnes, has raised £755 for St Benedict’s Hospice during the coronavirus lockdown – all in memory of his grandad Tony, who was cared for by the hospice in his final days.
The youngster decided he would raise money by running 5k in five days, before extending it to seven days, after his auntie ran a Facebook fundraiser for her birthday.
His mum, Rhianna Davison, has told the Echo how Oliver had high ambitions before being shocked at the amount that has been raised so far.
She said: “We’re really surprised at how much he has managed to raise.
“Our family and friends had already donated to my sister’s fundraiser.
“So it was nice that they have managed to donate to Oliver too.
“He said he wanted to raise £1million at first, before reducing it to the target of £350 which has now been doubled.”
Rhianna’s dad Tony passed away in 2015, when Oliver was just five, after battling with a brain tumour for 14 years.
In the final years of his life, 54-year-old Tony spent time in care at the hospice, during which the family were able to make precious memories.
Rhianna added: “My dad would sometimes go in for respite care to give my mam a break and he loved it.
“Towards the end of his life, when he was in a wheelchair, we would go as a family and Oliver has some really fond memories.
“He often speaks about doing the Easter egg hunt there or walking around the lake and feeding the ducks with his grandpa.
“Oliver hopes that the money will help families have the same experience that we did.”
The hospice has appealed for help during the lockdown after losing huge sums of funding caused by the pandemic.
Chairman Derek Moss added: “A donation will enable our staff to continue to provide expert and outstanding care to patients when they need it most.”
If you wish to donate to Oliver’s fundraiser, you can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rhianna-Watson