24-hour bowlathon for Daisy at Boston bowls club
A twenty-four bowlathon will take place at Boston Indoor Bowls Club at the end of February called “Reeson’s Roll-Up for Daisy”, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for charity.
Daisy is three years old, cute, smiley and the apple of the eye of her family. And she’s one in 4 million - special, but not in a good way. Because Daisy has myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of blood cancer which attacks the bone marrow responsible for producing the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Her young life so far has been one of infections, trips to A and E and general ill-health, not good for anyone and particularly not for one so young. Treatment with stem cells comes with a bone marrow transplant.
Andy Reeson, Daisy’s granddad, and Liam Reeson, her uncle and Andy’s son, will be the main participants in this marathon bowlathon, playing around a dozen games of four-bowl and two-bowl pairs against all manner of opponents. Both are experienced bowlers at the club, playing regularly for the Men’s Denny team in the national team competition, both currently and last year when they reached the final in Nottingham.
Monies raised from the bowlathon will be split between Sheffield Children’s Hospital (Ward 6), where Daisy is being treated, and PACT House, a charity providing respite care and support for the relatives.
Andy and Liam will bowl together as a pair against opponents for twenty-four hours, starting at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 27th February and ending at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday 28th. The opponents for the first fifteen hours will be combinations of the best bowlers from the indoor club in a series of games of four-bowl pairs.
On Saturday, the club will be visited by five England International bowlers to play against Andy and Liam in two-bowl pairs games, each international being teamed up with one of five lucky winners drawn by raffle from the ranks of the club’s membership.
Three of the five visitors featured in the televised matches recently at the World Indoor Bowls Championships from Potter’s Resort at Hopton-on-Sea in Norfolk. Les Gillett from Nottingham, currently ranked 5th in the world, was the indoor singles world champion in 2022 and will be joined by Wayne Willgress from Norfolk, currently ranked 11th, Aaron Johnson, also from Norfolk, 16th, Mark Royal, who’s career high was 2nd on the World Bowls Tour, and Shaun Jones, currently the national pairs winner.
Donations to the charitable effort in support of the 24-hour bowlathon can be made via www.gofundme.com searching for Reeson Roll Up 4 Pact House and Sheffield Children Hospital.
The bowlathon will bring to an end a busy month at the indoor club. Next Saturday, the 7th February, the club plays the quarter final of the Denny Plate against Falcon from Essex. Then, a week later, it will host an Open Singles Circuit competition, bringing in bowlers from far and wide to participate over two days of knock-out bowls for cash prizes.