An award-winning cancer campaigner has welcomed a Blairgowrie Golf Club event that raised nearly £10,000 for research.
Jo Williamson, from Auchterhouse, lost his wife Sue to a rare genetic cancer, pheochromocytoma, 19 years ago.
Two of their children – twins Jennie and James – have been diagnosed with the same hereditary mutated genes.
The Phaeo and Para Cancer Charity established by Jo in 2018 has generated around £150,000 to fund international research.
The charity has been guided since its inception by Jo’s neighbour and paediatrician, Anil Mehta, and Gullane-based Professor Gordon Stewart.
“It’s vital to press on with our fundraising to support the scientific work being carried out by Simon Plummer and the MicroMatrices team in Dundee,” said grandfather Jo, 70, who teamed up with fellow Blairgowrie member Gordon Blair and Fife-based Richard Wright to complete the 22,000km Mongol Rally route in tartan Ford Fiestas in a 2018 fundraiser.
“MicroMatrices have had my son Jamie’s tumour block, looking at existing cancer drugs to see if any would help.
“By sheer coincidence, the golf day will pay all the costs involved.
“We are also about to begin a new project in Lucknow with one of India’s leading neuro specialists.”
The first of the planned biennial fundraisers supported by Blairgowrie Golf Club took place in 2019 but the pandemic put paid to last year’s plans.
‘Tremendous support’
A total of 21 teams participated in a Stableford competition over the Lansdowne course, which hosted a TartanPro Tour event earlier this month.
“We had tremendous support and auctioned off a number of items, including a Marriott Hotels voucher, Royal and Awesome kit, a four-ball for the Bill McLaren Golf Day, a limited-edition print signed by Scottish rugby captain Stuart Hogg, and various golf clubs across Scotland offered us support.
“Sam Forest at Abernyte Antiques Centre generously donated a dozen splendid Claret Jug trophies and we are grateful to Stuart Wilson and the staff at Blairgowrie Golf Club for all their support.”
Jo’s outstanding fundraising efforts were recognised in Cancer Research UK’s annual Flame of Hope Awards, winning the Uniting Communities award.
His fundraising will continue with a charity wine-tasting later in the year.
