A charity has expressed its gratitude to Sheffield Wednesday for a small yet meaningful gesture, months after a significant charitable effort by its supporters. The Bradley Lowery Foundation, established in 2017 in memory of Bradley Lowery, a six-year-old Sunderland fan, has acknowledged the club’s kindness. Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, captured the hearts of football fans nationwide with his courageous fundraising and his touching friendship with then-Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe. Diagnosed with neuroblastoma at 18 months old, Bradley’s tragic death resonated deeply, prompting applause across football stadiums in his honor.
Sheffield Wednesday has been thanked for donating a shirt signed by the 2023/24 squad, which will be auctioned as part of the “Cancer Has No Colours” fundraising initiative starting July 1. This gesture follows a series of charitable acts by Owls supporters, who raised over £29,000 after a former season ticket holder, Dale Houghton, was convicted for mocking Sunderland fans with an image of Bradley during a match. Houghton was given 200 hours of unpaid work, a 12-week suspended prison sentence, and a five-year ban from football stadiums. His actions were condemned by Sheffield Wednesday fans and officials, sparking a vast charity drive.
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The Bradley Lowery Foundation continues its mission to support families seeking treatments or equipment not covered by the NHS, fund research into neuroblastoma and childhood cancers, and develop a £600,000 holiday home in Scarborough along with a support line for families of children with cancer in the North East. The donation of the signed shirt symbolizes the ongoing solidarity between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland, reinforcing the unity and support within the football community.