An avid Rod Stewart fan has bid £27,000 with just ten seconds on the clock to have dinner at the Ritz Hotel in London with Sir Rod and his lovely wife Penny – and all to support Maggie’s – the cancer care charity.
Paul O’Rourke from Bolton, who has already been to see the rock legend in concert many times, made the bid to make up for a cancelled trip of a lifetime that had been booked to see Rod in Las Vegas for wife Gemma’s birthday – cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.
Paul says there wasn’t any doubt that bidding in the auction was a win-win situation for him and the charity.
Paul tells the story: “Our family has its own cancer story as my mum is living with cancer. We are a very close family and my mum always has been our only childminder – she lives for her grandchildren. Unfortunately, this is her second episode of cancer and it seems that this is something that she will have to live with. The good news is that she is doing well at the moment thanks to places like Maggie’s and she is incredibly buoyant and strong and quite a hero to us.
“This is my main reason for supporting Maggie’s. However, my wife Gemma has always been a huge Rod fan and we’ve been to see him many times across the UK. The last time when he came to Bolton, Gemma was pictured in the local papers because she took a life-size cutting of Rod to the concert with her! She even took up learning to play the saxophone a couple of years ago with an ambition to run away and join his band! Fortunately for me, she needs a lot more practice yet.”
When Paul saw the opportunity in the newspaper to bid in the Maggie’s auction to have dinner with Rod and Penny, he says he couldn’t resist.
“I had to get involved especially when Gemma’s birthday to Vegas had been cancelled. As the auction went on and the price was going up I had to be realistic. It was an exciting and anxious few moments when I put my bid in at the end, but I knew the money was to help a wonderful meaningful charity like Maggie’s and I knew this was a great opportunity for us in every way.”
Paul adds: “Over the last five years we have endured our own experience with a loved one learning they had cancer. We been through all the treatments, the uncertainty and the changes to everyday life and it’s not just the person living with cancer, cancer touches all of the family, all of your loved ones too.
“What I have learned is the resilience and hope you can gain from those who have been there before and that comes from organisations like Maggie’s which can help make all the difference. What you get from Maggie’s and other organisations like it is closeness of understanding and support. For me, that’s what made bidding for dinner with Rod a must – it was a win-win situation.”
Paul adds: “When the time comes and we can dine at The Ritz, I’m hoping I can talk football and ankle injuries with Rod. No doubt Gemma will ask to join the band!”
Thanks to the Chair of Maggie’s Lanarkshire Board, Sandy Wilkie, and his team’s efforts, the Noel Christmas Auction raised an incredible £60,000. When the auction closed, the Wiseman Family Charitable Trust pledged a surprise donation of £40,000 to support Maggie’s.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “Maggie’s do such fantastic work with those living with cancer. Inspired by Sandy Wilkie, his team, and the generosity of giving in the community the Wiseman family felt moved to make a donation to round the auction total to £100K for such a great cause.”
Maggie’s Fundraising Director Sharon O’Loan said: “People’s response to our auction has really amazed us and we can’t thank everyone enough.
“Paul and Gemma’s bid to dine with Sir Rod and Penny is just astonishing and I’m sure they’ll have a fantastic time. As Paul says, it will all go to helping people with cancer in what has been the toughest year imaginable.
“The fact that Sir Rod and Penny got behind us is just phenomenal and we are so grateful for their support – and to our great supporter Les Hutchison who encouraged them to get involved.
“The bid from Wiseman Family Charitable Trust, which came in at the end, topped off what has been an extraordinary auction to help people with cancer. The incredible total –£100,000 – will go a long way towards ensuring that those living with cancer in Lanarkshire will have the support they need at a time when they need it more than ever.”
Since Maggie’s opened their first centre in 1996 in Edinburgh, the charity has developed a programme of support that is proven to help people with cancer and their loved ones take back control.
During lockdown Maggie’s supported people with cancer by phone, email and digitally. This support helped people from across the UK 74,000 times during lockdown.
Support by professional staff is now available face-to-face in the centre or by phone, email or online to help people with stress, fear and anxiety as well as money worries and questions about treatment.
Visitors will be asked to call ahead for an appointment while social distancing, hygiene and safety measures will be in line with Government guidelines, though if you are visiting the hospital anyway, please do just pop in.
