FAMILY and friends raised £3,000 at a charity fundraiser “Gig in the Garden” at Erlestoke’s George and Dragon earlier this month.
The fundraiser was a day of live music and children’s activities in the pub garden, held in order to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK. It was hosted in honour of local man Sean Gilbert, who recently died from the condition.
The event, which ran from 3.00pm to midnight on Saturday 6th September saw musical performances from local artists Lily, Bitter & Twisted, Rob Bowden, Johnny Fingers and the Allstars, Scout Killers, Cydny Mead, and Triple JD. There was also a raffle, hog roast, stocks, and a children’s stall with face-painting and sweets.
Organiser Sharon Elliott used to run the George and Dragon. She said, “It was such a fantastic day to put on in Sean’s memory, and we’re so happy to have smashed our £2,000 fundraising target.
“We decided to have it at the pub because when I worked there, Sean and I did a fundraiser for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. We tried to organise the Gig in the Garden in time for him to come but unfortunately he passed away, so it was held in his memory instead.
“We had about 250 visitors during the day, but we weren’t surprised because Sean was very popular in the area. He clearly touched a lot of people.”
There was also a balloon release on the day, with an estimated 200 blue and purple balloons. It was intended as a memorial gesture, but the organisers are offering a prize to the balloon found furthest from home.
Sharon said, “The balloon release was really poignant – blue was Sean’s favourite colour, and purple is the official colour of Pancreatic Cancer UK. The furthest one we’ve had back so far was found 79.5 miles away in West Sussex!”
To find out more about Pancreatic Cancer UK, go to www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk
