Nearly £5,000 was raised following a football match which celebrated the lives of two friends who were tragically killed in a crash near Sudbury last year.
Kye Mclean and Zac Smith, both 18, died following a road accident on the B115 Great Waldingfield Road, near Chilton Airfield, on August 9, 2017.
The two teenagers, who were travelling in a silver Vauxhall Corsa, were treated by paramedics but both died at the scene.
The friends were keen footballers and Kye, from Polstead, was involved with Fellowship Football, while Zac from Great Cornard, played for both AFC Sudbury and Cornard United,
The match between Fellowship Football and Kye’s family and friends was played at AFC Sudbury on January 13, which was followed by an auction and a raffle.
The game resulted in an 11-9 victory for Kye’s old team Fellowship Football in an entertaining encounter at the Wardale Williams Stadium.
The match was held two days before what would have been Kye’s 19th birthday.
Kye’s grandmother, Carol Morris, who helped organise the event, said £4,795 was raised, with £1,000 going to Fellowship Football and £3,795 donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Mrs Morris said: “It was an excellent turnout. Kye’s father and grandfather played in the game so it was very poignant.
“We had a raffle and an auction, that’s how the money was made up and we were amazed by people’s generosity in the community.
“The supermarkets – Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s – all donated raffle prizes and Darren Cox from Sudbury market gave us a fruit chest to auction off.
“Other market traders donated prizes as well.
“Kye was always moaning about having to pay for his football shirt so we wanted to give some money to Fellowship Football for their new kit.
“The money to Make-a-Wish will go to granting the wishes of seriously ill children in the Suffolk area.
“You only have to look on Facebook to see how much both lads were loved.
“Zac was a lovely young man and his parents attended the event.
“Kye was an amazing lad, a happy-go-lucky lad and everybody loved him.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here