3 Apr 2017 Community

Fabulous at Fifty – a Birthday Party to Remember

In a touching tribute to her Auntie, local woman, Dawn Martin, hosts her 50th Birthday celebrations in aid of Kirkwood Hospice and raises an impressive £866.

At the beginning of the year, on Saturday 14th January, Lockwood Rugby Club was packed to capacity as Dawn Martin celebrated her 50th Birthday.

On the day, over £866 was raised for the Hospice as Dawn lovingly remembered her Auntie, Julie Hessle, who received care from Kirkwood before sadly dying of Cancer 11 years ago, aged just 47.

Dawn, who now works as a Hairdresser, was undertaking a Holistic Therapies course at Kirkwood at the time of visiting Julie in the Hospice. With these personal connections to the Hospice, she made the decision to fundraise for Kirkwood.

A proud Dawn Martin.

 

Friends, relatives and loyal customers were invited to the Rugby Club at Lockwood to join Dawn in commemorating both her Birthday and Julie’s memory.

To fundraise at the event, Dawn provided the guests with a range of activities including a jukebox, a raffle and even some (albeit short-lived) limbo dancing!

Having received 70 RSVPs, Dawn was amazed when 150 guests turned up on the day and is overwhelmed with the overall turn out.

Dawn said: “A lot of people came and everybody was so generous. I had a customer who I asked to bring one cake and she baked me three. Another brought me two pavlovas instead of one.

“I’d said no gifts, just donations, but everybody brought gifts. They all ended up on the raffle table as prizes so it worked out really well in the end!

“It was also very special to see Justine, Julie’s daughter at the party. It’s nice to see that she’s moving on. Losing your mum at 47 is very young.”

“I decided that every time I have an ‘0’ Birthday, I’ll have a party in honour of Julie to bring her memory alive again and raise some money for Kirkwood." Dawn Martin

Having also hosted her 40th Birthday party in tribute to Julie 10 years ago, raising £400, Dawn is keen to make the event a decennial tradition in aid of Kirkwood.

Dawn said: “When I did my work experience, and came to visit Julie in Kirkwood Hospice it made me realise how important it all is.

“I decided that every time I have an ‘0’ Birthday, I’ll have a party in honour of Julie to bring her memory alive again and raise some money for Kirkwood. That’s what it’s all about.”

Dawn Martin presenting her collection tins to Kirkwood Hospice Community Fundraiser, Nicola Barber.

 

Community Fundraiser at Kirkwood Hospice, Nicola Barber, who attended a recent cheque presentation, is delighted at Dawn’s fundraising efforts and keen to encourage other local people to do the same.

Nicola said: “Dawn hosted an excellent Birthday party as such a lovely tribute to her Auntie. We are all so grateful for her donations, which can be used to make a real difference here at the Hospice and throughout Kirklees.”