A SHIPLEY woman has reached her target of raising more than £5,500 to pay for a day of care at Bradford’s Marie Curie hospice in memory of her sister who would have celebrated her birthday today.

Louise Bennett has organised a number of fundraisers and will take part in a nine-day trekking challenge to Costa Rica next month.

What’s more, she has managed to raise the money in just seven months. Mrs Bennett’s fundraising challenge is in memory of her sister Rachel Carrack who, aged 35, died in the hospice in February this year having spent just six precious hours there.

“I decided to sign up to take on the Costa Rica trek to support Marie Curie and the Bradford Hospice after experiencing the wonderful care they provide,” said Mrs Bennett.

“Rachel’s final hours were precious to us, made more comfortable by the dedicated staff in the hospice.

“With support from family and friends, colleagues and members of the public, we have managed to raise a sufficient amount to ‘Pay for a Day’ in Bradford.

“Rachel would be honoured, and we will all be raising a glass to her for her birthday.”

The November trip will see 24 Marie Curie supporters take on an epic trek adventure, discovering the volcanoes of Costa Rica.

Having started fundraising for her trek, Louise decided to sign up to the Pay For A Day Appeal and has been aiming to raise enough to cover a full day of the running costs at the charity’s Bradford hospice, which comes in at £5,562.

Having raised such a phenomenal amount, Louise decided to sponsor the hospice on October 19, which would have been Rachel’s birthday.

Liz Howlett, fundraising manager for Marie Curie in Yorkshire, said: “The most massive thanks to Louise, her family and everyone who has supported her in her fundraising. It is an incredible achievement to have raised so much in support of the hospice and we are honoured that she has chosen to sponsor the 19th of October in memory of her sister Rachel, this is such a special tribute.

"At the hospice we work hard to provide the best possible care for people from the surrounding communities. We strive to pay particular attention to treating each patient as an individual, tailoring the care that we provide to their specific needs and to those of their families, in comfortable surroundings. We are so fortunate to have wonderful support such as this to help us achieve these goals – heartfelt thanks from us all to Louise and everyone who has supported her with her efforts. We wish her the most fantastic time in Costa Rica in November and can’t wait to hear all about it when she comes back.”

If you are interested in finding out about the Bradford hospice’s Pay For A Day Appeal, hosting your own event, taking part in a fundraising activity or volunteering for the charity then please contact Liz Howlett on 01274 386190 or email liz.howlett@mariecurie.org.uk