Students from Liverpool John Moores University turned up to their classes in festive fancy dress today and raised a total of £200 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Third year journalism students went all out with their Christmas-themed dress code, with some sporting seasonal jumpers and others wearing onesies.
Organiser Lauren Cordelle decided to set up the fundraiser after her dad was diagnosed with cancer in August.
She told JMU Journalism Liverpool Life magazine: “After my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I instantly felt like I had to do something, to help raise money for those going through similar situations. My mum and dad have always raised money for Macmillan so that’s why I chose to raise money for them; it was just a case of deciding how to do it.”
Lauren came up with the idea to ask people to come into university in Christmas-themed clothing, due to it being their last full day before they break up for Christmas. To encourage students to take part, prizes were given to the best dressed. In first place was Nadine Higham, who wore a festive cardigan and reindeer antlers. Harriet Midgley took second place and Nathan Pearce came in third.
Lauren originally aimed to raise £50 but thanks to the generosity of students and lecturers, managed to quadruple her aim to total £200.
Macmillan provides high quality, up-to-date information for cancer patients, their families and carers. Cancer is not a single disease with a single type of treatment. There are more than 200 different kinds of cancer, each with its own name and treatment.
In 2010, 324,579 people in the UK were diagnosed with cancer, and in 2011 there were 159,178 deaths from the disease.
One in three people will get cancer and it’s likely to be the toughest thing most of us will have to face. The Macmillan teams provide practical, medical and financial support and keep working on better and more effective ways for cancer sufferers to receive better care.
Without the generosity of the public, Macmillan would not be able to carry out the work that they do, as 98% of their funding comes from supporters. Beverley Hurst, a Macmillan nurse, said: “At this time of year, we need help more than ever.”
If you would like to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support, you can visit their website at www.macmillan.org.uk.