Ashcombe Park BC : MND assoc. charity event

ASHCOMBE PARK BOWLING CLUB
NEWS SECTION

Motor Neurone Disease Association

KATE CREASEY sadly died of Motor Neurone Disease. Her husband Jim has dedicated a seat in her memory,. The seat is positioned under the shelter, outside of the Club Pavilion.

A plaque has been mounted on the wall, above the seat “KATES KORNER In loving memory of KATE CREASEY, Club Member 1992 - 2009”

The MND Association is a charity that funds and promotes research to bring about an end to MND. It also does all that it can to enable everyone with MND to receive the best care, achieve the highest quality of life possible, and supports the families and carers of people with MND.

Mr Creasey's son set up a Tribute Fund with the Motor Neurone Disease Association in memory of his mother:

“The Kate Creasey Tribute Fund”.

Donations to this fund have exceeded £3000, but further donations will be much appreciated.

> Send a cheque made out to “MND Association” (*write the name of the our Club, or “Kate Creasey Tribute Fund” on the reverse of the cheque) and post direct to:

The MND Association, PO Box 246, Northampton, NN1 2PR.

> Donate by Credit or Debit card via the MND Association website: www.mndassociation.org

> Donate over the telephone by credit or debit card - just call 0845 604 4295

The 12-Hour ‘Bowlathon’ arranged by Brian Cracknell, and played with Alan Yates was a huge success. Photos and details will soon be but in our ‘Events’ section. Donations to the MND Association are expected to reach £2,000. Very Well Done

On Sunday 22nd August, our Bowls Club held a 12-hour "bowl-a-thon" charity event in memory of a former member who died of a rare muscle-wasting condition. Formerly fit and healthy, Kate Creasey had her life turned upside down when she was diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease.

The condition quickly robbed the 76 year-old Member of her ability to walk, talk and eat, eventually claiming her life in November 2009.

In response, members of our Bowls Club held this charity event in support the Motor Neurone Disease Association, to raise awareness of the disease (see details above). The club wanted to raise more than £1,000 for the charity, and show support for Kate's widower Jim, aged 76. However, the event raised more than double this amount, a total of £2,200 to date.

Jim, a valued Member of our Club, wishes to say:

"The club couldn't have done anything more for Kate and they have been terrific. Watching the condition slowly take hold of Kate was horrendous, and the club offered a welcome respite for both of us. From being a fit and healthy woman she turned into someone who could not talk, eat or move - while in her brain she was working fine. I would see the frustration in her and it tore me apart."

Kate was tested and diagnosed with the disease after she suffered a speech impairment in August 2008. Her condition progressively worsened and a year later she moved into Jasmine Court Nursing Home, where she died three months later.

The disease affects around 5,000 people in the country, killing five every day. Because it attacks the nervous system and motor neurones in the brain, it robs sufferers of their movement and ability to eat, speak and often breath. There is no cure and the life expectancy of someone after diagnosis is only 14 months.

Unfortunately, our Club has recently learnt of another Member who has been diagnosed with the disease, and our Club pledge to give all the help and support we can to the Club Member and his family.

Ashcombe Bowls Club member Brian Cracknell lead the 12-hour charity effort with co-member Alan Yates, starting at 9am, and finishing in the dark at 9pm. Mr Cracknell, aged 42, saw what Kate and Jim had to go through and wanted to ‘raise awareness’ of the condition.