Greatest show raises over £2,000 in memory of John
Friends, family and local businesses come together to raise over £2,000 in memory of John Hood at a special screening in his honour
John Hood was a Senior Partner at Jackson Green and Preston and a keen sportsman. He touched the lives of hundreds before sadly passing away in March 2018 after fighting pancreatic cancer. A couple of months after his funeral, Rachel Hobson, Partner of Jackson Green and Preston, planned to hold an event to honour John’s life, and raise money for Pancreatic Cancer – a charity on a “mission to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and improve the quality of life for those affected by it”.
Over 160 people came through the theatre doors at John Whitgift Academy and enjoyed a showing of The Greatest Showman, along with food and refreshments. The event idea came as a result of Rachel having attended a showing of The Greatest Showman at the school and thought it would be a great idea to share this experience, and honour John’s memory while raising money for a very worthy charity. “Although John was not a ‘showman’, he did have great vision as a businessman, he inspired and gave great opportunities to so many people, and he participated in many fundraising and charitable causes so he was a great man in his own right. So, I thought The Greatest Showman was the perfect film to show to honour his memory.” Rachel said.
Many Grimsby businesses donated prizes for the raffle to support the cause. The raffle prizes included a variety of premium bottled alcohol, champagne, beauty products, a large rug and a handmade blanket.
Managing Partner, Andy Ottley opened the evening with a welcome speech and shared some insight to the great services and training that Pancreatic Cancer Action provide. “It is amazing how much the charity actually provide, considering they are only a small charity.
Their mission to work towards the day where people survive pancreatic cancer, with early diagnosis is amazing, and if we can help towards that goal while remembering and honouring a great man, we’re are proud to help and support this.” Andy said.
Suzanne Hood, John’s wife, also attended the event and was overwhelmed by the many people that attended. The room was filled with colleagues, friends and family and the event collectively raised £2,123.25 as of 29th October 2018. Suzanne said, “A brilliant evening, I can’t thank John’s partners enough for putting on this event, supported by many friends, in John’s memory to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Action. Thank you all for your generosity and thoughtfulness, it was a lovely night to remember and John was there in our hearts.”
The local PCA Community Representative was also thrilled at how well the event went. Becky Wright started volunteering for the charity after her husband sadly died of Pancreatic Cancer and has since helped to raise £42,000 to support the charity. “Pancreatic Cancer is a condition that tends to go undiagnosed or can be overlooked, so this charity is here to help early diagnosis so we can save the lives of those affected.
I am a local woman and it is surprising how many people in this area alone are affected with the disease. My message to all of you is help and support is available, and all money we raise goes towards the life-saving research and training – every penny counts!” said Becky.
Rachel Hobson thanked everyone involved by saying, “I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in making the event a huge success. Not everyone could attend, but many that couldn’t be here even contributed to the cause with a cash donation or raffle prize.”
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended the showing in John’s memory and for helping to raise vital funds and awareness of pancreatic cancer.
Click here to find out how you could get involved during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month