Arsenal smash fundraising target for Teenage Cancer Trust

Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce today that a record-breaking £532,816 has been raised for Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), the Club’s Charity of the Season for 2008/09. Thanks to the overwhelming support from fans, players, directors and staff, the Club smashed its £300,000 target.

The money raised through the ‘Be a Gooner. Be a Giver.’ campaign will enable Teenage Cancer Trust to create a unique Day Care Cancer Unit for young people within a brand new Centre being built at University College Hospital in London.

Arsenal’s legacy within this unit will be a state-of-the-art Education Zone plus a social space designed to make young patients feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible when receiving their treatment. Building work on the Centre will begin in 2010.

The money raised smashes all previous fundraising totals for Arsenal’s Charity of the Season initiative, which has been running for six consecutive years. The figure is testament to the many innovative fundraising activities which took place throughout the 12 month partnership, including the charity’s dedicated matchday - Arsenal v Liverpool - in December 2008. All first team players and directors donated a day’s wages to Teenage Cancer Trust and supporters were encouraged to do the same. £210,000 was raised in just one day.

Speaking about the partnership, Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted to smash our target of raising £300,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust as well as building awareness and understanding of the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer. The dedication of everyone involved with the charity has been phenomenal and all should be proud of the amazing delivery of fundraising initiatives Teenage Cancer Trust have introduced to our supporters over the course of the partnership. The fans have been fantastic with their generosity yet again for our Charity of the Season, and it is thanks to them that teenage cancer patients will have this fantastic Education Zone and Social Space within the revolutionary Unit once built.”

Roger Daltrey, CBE, Arsenal fan and Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust said: “As an Arsenal fan I am proud of how the Club and its fans from across the world got behind Teenage Cancer Trust last season. This incredible fundraising total is testament to the dedication and generosity of the Arsenal

community. Their support will enable Teenage Cancer Trust to make a huge difference to many young people with cancer through our new, much needed day care unit which will be built in London.”

Other partnership highlights include ‘Be a Gunner. Be a Runner.’; a ten lap fun-run around Emirates Stadium which raised over £40,000 with 150 runners taking part. Arsenal’s official car supplier Citroën became the first Club sponsor to ever be involved with the Club’s Charity of the Season partnership. Citroën generously donated a C4 car which was then designed by world famous cartoonist Gerald Scarfe in consultation with Robin van Persie, Gael Clichy and Manuel Almunia. The ‘Ultimate Arsenal Fans’ Car’ was raffled from March until the end of the season and with tickets costing just £2 each, nearly 6000 tickets were bought raising over £11,700 for the charity.

Arsenal’s staff were more involved than ever this year through the ‘Charity Champion’ initiative. Each department within the Club had a nominated Champion throughout the partnership and together, over £40,000 was raised over the season from staff. Arsenal’s Supporters Clubs were also more involved and doubled their total raised for TreeHouse last season, contributing a massive £22,000 to the fundraising target. In particular, Arsenal Herts & Beds Supporters Club initiated an ‘Arsenal Imprints’ idea, which saw Andrey Arshavin, Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere all give clay imprints of their feet, and the imprints were then auctioned via eBay with all proceeds going to Teenage Cancer Trust.

The partnership’s finale, the Legends & Youth Ball, was held in May at Emirates Stadium. Hosted by Little Britain star Matt Lucas and attended by the first team, Arsène Wenger and a raft of celebrity supporters, the evening was an outstanding celebration of the success of the partnership. Guests were treated to performances by The Who & V V Brown and over £160,000 was raised on the evening for Teenage Cancer Trust.

With the new season commencing on 15 August 2009, Teenage Cancer Trust will be handing the Charity of the Season baton to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals.

Source: Arsenal Press