More than £11,000 has been raised for charity as an Almondbank woman receives treatment for lung cancer.
Sharon Eadie, 53, was given a stage four diagnosis just over two years ago and is currently receiving treatment at the Cornhill Macmillan Centre in Perth.
After hearing the news, her son Chris and his friend Lewis Philips decided to raise money for charity.
Money from poker events has gone to charities of Sharon’s choosing such as Cornhill and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
‘We looked at what we can do’
Lewis told The Courier: “We got the news that his mum had been diagnosed with lung cancer so we looked at what we could do.
“We landed on hosting a poker event as we all play – it snowballed and we came up with the name All in for Sharon.”
Chris added: “It’s going to run every single year as long as me and Lewis are wanting to do it.
“I’m lucky my mum is still here but moving forward it will turn into a memorial tournament.”
The event has run for the past two years at Almondbank Bowling Club, somewhere Chris feels is close to home.
It has also received support and sponsorships from several other local businesses.
Sharon is originally from Perth but moved to Almondbank after meeting her husband Jake.
She worked at several places, including a local Almondbank pub and Perth College UHI.
Chris said: “Her most recent job was working at Perth College as a barista and she was well-known at the college.
“A lot of the time people wouldn’t even want coffee, they’d just want to see Sharon, she had that kind of personality.
“My mum is just a really positive person who wears her heart on her sleeve – a typical mum who is there for everybody.
“A strong, strong woman.”
Chris says it is also important to raise awareness of lung cancer.
He added: “I’ve stopped smoking – but you can’t stop other folk from doing it.
“People will come to these events and still smoke but it’s up to them and all we can do is raise awareness.
“My mum was a smoker too but had stopped for 10 years, but we don’t know if that was the cause.”
Cornhill staff ‘heroes’
Lewis and Chris hope that continuing to host the event will provide a legacy for Sharon.
“She is the only one who has a decision on where the money goes,” Chris said.
“The first year she chose Roy Castle and the second year she wanted to give back to Cornhill.
“It’s been overwhelming for the staff, they’re really nice.
“They’re the heroes.”
Lewis added: “We have set a target to raise £50,000 over 10 years and we have a trophy for tournament winners.”
Chris and Lewis are planning their next tournament for the last Friday of October alongside fellow organisers Dan Myles, Jake Eadie senior, Jake junior and Patrick McNamara.
Conversation