The team at a Royston barbers held their third annual charity golf day last week – and raised £20,000 for a two-year-old boy with cancer.
More than 80 golfers – all customers of Carlo Infanti’s Royston and Letchworth branches of Carlo & Co Barbers – came together to raise as much as they could to help Charlie Shirran.
Charlie – who lives in Australia with his parents Jo and Mark, who hail from England – has stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma and has been fighting the disease since he was nine months old.
Carlo said: “Little Charlie has been put through crucial and challenging treatment for the past 18 months, but he and his parents have started a cripplingly expensive trial in New York with the aim of holding him in remission – so the family have to travel to the USA every other month for vaccines.
“I wanted to do everything I could to help, as having two young children myself I couldn’t imagine what Charlie’s family are going through.
“I’d like to thank all the players, helpers and sponsors on the day who helped raise this staggering amount.
“We had some amazing items and experiences donated for the charity auction and people were unbelievably generous in bidding for them, so I have to say a massive thank you to those that put in the highest bid – especially the renowned Leigh and Dean Candler of North Herts Surfacing who year after year are leaders in the bidding wars!”
Charlie and his family were there on the day at Old Fold Manor in Barnet, and his dad Mark gave a touching speech on Charlie’s bravery, his gratitude to everyone attending the day and how they were making such a difference.
The competition was in a Ryder Cup-style format as Team Carlo took on Team Phil, with the former emerging victorious on the day.
After the golf had finished they were treated to a barbecue and a trick shot show hosted by Geoff Swain and Kevin Carpenter who “amazed everyone with their golfing skills”.
There was a charity auction with Mick Burr on the microphone, and because everyone wanted to raise as much for Charlie as possible, and Carlo said they bidded “way over the odds”.
The grand total was given an £800 boost late into the evening when Leigh Candler and Tommy Crotty had their hair shaved off.
For more on Charlie’s story see www.chasingcharliescure.org.
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