Players back appeal to raise money for the John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford United are proud to be supporting the Thinking of Oscar appeal this weekend when the U’s welcome Portsmouth in Sky Bet League 2.
The appeal is dedicated to the memory of Oscar Cole who died on June 19th 2014 aged just 16 months from an infection called Encephalitis. Oscar’s parents David and Hannah set up Thinking of Oscar to help to make the lives of children and their families easier whilst in hospital care. Their aim is to provide tangible benefits to children's hospitals over and above those provided by the health services.
The appeal is aiming to raise £100,000 for the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford and on Saturday the United players will be playing their part by wearing the charity’s t-shirts in the warm up, as will the ball boys during the game. There will be a bucket collection so fans entering the ground can contribute to a cause that has touched the players, as captain Jake Wright said:
“The family are from the same village as me and what they are doing is fantastic. When I heard their story it struck a chord because I suffered from the same infection as a child. I talked about it with the players and we all agreed that we want to do all we can to raise awareness and funds for Thinking of Oscar.
“We have all been wearing the wristbands and trying to spread the word, and we will be very proud to support the day on Saturday.
“The great thing is that the money is going to the John Radcliffe hospital and I would imagine that every Oxford fan has needed the help of the fantastic staff there at some time.
“We would love as many supporters as possible to help us out and make a donation on Saturday, and if people want to take it further and get involved in other ways then that would be brilliant as well.”
Find out more at www.thinkingofoscar.com