Kindhearted fundraisers who organised a charity ball in memory of Horsforth student after he died from testicular cancer at 24 have pledged to make it an annual event.
David Cole died in 2003 from the disease while he studying sports and media at Horsforth's Trinity and All Saints College.
The keen sportsman, who had represented England schoolboys at basketball, had been diagnosed aged just 21 and fought the illness for three years.
Since his death, David's friends and family have raised thousands of pounds for an oncology unit at Furness General Hospital in his hometown of Barrow-in-Furness. Then last year a group of university friends organised a James Bond-themed fundraising night at the Metropole Hotel in Leeds.
It was a huge success, smashing their fundraising target of £3,000 and eventually collecting £5,500. The cash was spent on buying new equipment for the oncology ward where David was treated and some also went to Cancer Research UK.
Since then a charity, the David Cole Training Fund, has been set up to give cash to the unit and following the success of the ball, his friends have decided to make it an annual event.
Claire Rowley, 28, one of the organisers, said: "We got such a great response from people and with that money the fund for the hospital ward was set up."
This year's event is a White Tie and Tiara Ball at the Queens Hotel in Leeds city centre on Saturday, April 5.
Cash raised will be split between David's charity and testicular cancer charity Everyman.
Tickets for the ball cost £25 each, including a Champagne reception, hot buffet meal, raffle and auction.
For more information or to buy tickets, email:
claire.rowley@buyingteam.comThe full article contains 297 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
