Proud band of brothers

Ride in memory of Jason raises cash
A FORTY-TWO mile cycle trip in memory of a 34-year-old father-of-two, notched up a huge £3,227 for the charity which cared for him.

Jason McLaughlin died just three weeks after being told he had stomach cancer, last August.

He spent his last five days at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, and his older brother, Brendan, wanted to do something in return for the people who treated him “like a king.”

Sixteen of the brothers’ friends and relatives rallied round for the tribute trip, which took them from Oldham to Anfield on Sunday, October 24, last year.

They chose the destination because Jason was a lifelong Liverpool supporter, which prompted his closest friends to sport the club’s strip at his funeral.

Brendan recalled: “It rained all day on the Saturday and I thought ‘please, let the sun shine’.”

His plea was answered, and bathed in Sunday morning sunshine, the charity cyclists completed their challenge in four hours.

Brendan is now planning another more daring challenge to raise money for the Royton hospice.

“Dr Kershaw’s were fantastic with Jason,” he said. “They treated him like a king, they are the ones who deserve footballers’ wages for the job they do.”

Ten years ago, Brendan and Jason whose children were aged 11 and 13 when he died, jumped 2,500ft from the skies in a fundraising parachute leap with Jason’s colleagues at Oldham firm Emanuel Whittaker.

Brendan added: “I’m thinking of doing another parachute jump for Dr Kershaw’s, but I bet I don’t get as many people as came on the cycle ride to jump out a plane with me,” he laughed.

“It was scary last time I did it, but I want a challenge.”