Disability sports club to stage special fundraiser in memory of pilot killed in Spitfire crash
This Saturday (September 14) sees a special fundraising event being staged by a Sleaford disability sports club in memory of an RAF pilot who died in a Spitfire crash earlier this year.
Squadron Leader Mark Long, a Typhoon pilot based at RAF Coningsby, died on May 25 when the wartime fighter plane he was piloting for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight crashed close to the airfield Sleaford Laffletics Club is staging a fundraiser at its regular venue in Northgate Sports Hall in Sleaford. Chairman, Thelma Smith explained: “We are doing the fundraiser in memory of Mark as his 15 year old daughter, Scarlett, is one of our fabulous young volunteers.
"The Long family are raising funds for the charity Flying Scholarships for Disabled People, of which Mark was involved with, and fit’s nicely alongside promoting inclusion and disability, which we are championing.
“Our new bear mascot has helped tremendously with the promotion, so if anyone wishes to donate, they can contact me, and then we will pass all the monies raised to the Long family.” The event will run from 10am until 1pm. There will be a tombola, bear hugs, name the bear challenge, a kurling competition and a tombola bowling competition. Thelma has also just won the BBC Radio Lincolnshire Make a Difference Award for her voluntary work at Laffletics.
She said: “It was perfect as we just celebrated our 20th anniversary on April 6. Although the award was handed to me, I am blessed that we have an amazing number of volunteers that help at Laffletics, because the amount of members that attend, it’s the busiest we have been, and I definitely couldn’t manage without my Laffletics team so I’ve dedicated it the whole club.”