Colchester star raises £3,500 with Manchester match shirt
Harry Pell raised �3,500 by auctioning off his shirt worn at Colchester's historic Old Trafford fixture Picture: PAGEPIX
A Colchester United star has raised thousands for baby loss charities by auctioning off his match kit from the club’s historic Manchester United fixture.
Daniel Whymark, pictured here in 2007, has spoken movingly about the loss of his son Picture: DANIEL WHYMARK - Credit: Archant
Midfielder Harry Pell was one of the players to take on the Premier League giants at Old Trafford earlier this season, after overcoming Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup.
While in lockdown, Pell was shown a message from fan Daniel Whymark, who was raising money with his wife Katie in memory of their son Lucas who tragically died at just one day old.
A father himself, Pell reached out to Mr Whymark and offered to help, putting his match-worn shirt up for auction on Twitter – which has now raised £3,500 for local baby bereavement charities Petals and 4Louis, as well as national charity Sands.
In a dramatic finish to the auction, bids were coming into Pell within seconds of the deadline, and the final bid clinched the shirt with just five seconds to spare.
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In a post on Facebook, Pell said: “Absolutely amazing. The Colchester United shirt raised £3,500.
“The shirt goes to a anonymous Colchester United fan who bid at 11.59.55am.
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“The shirt will be framed and put in a box at the football stadium, at which Daniel and his wife are invited into for a game.
“Would just like to personally thank every single person who has bid or donated. Just goes to show, when a group of people come together, how powerful that group can be.”
Pell also invited Mr Whymark for a drink once the coronavirus pandemic has ended and told fans to look forward to the play-offs.
With the winning bid added to the couple’s own fundraising total Mr and Mrs Whymark have now raised more than £6,000 for their chosen charities.
You can still donate to the causes on their JustGiving page.
