A TEENAGER is looking to break the £10,000 barrier for her Bradford City-inspired online fundraising in aid of the Burns Unit.
Georgia Thornton, 14, was a regular at Bantams matches at Valley Parade, pre-pandemic, selling claret and amber-coloured ribbons in aid of the unit.
She has raised more than £8,700 for the burns unit by selling the ribbons since November 2017. This included £1,632 from last year's appeal.
But with football still sidelined due to the coronavirus pandemic, Georgia, who lives in Morecambe but is a City season ticket holder, is auctioning off a series of Bantams, or more general football, memorabilia for the cause.
Her online fundraising raffle will kick off today and run until Friday, May 7.
Bradford City have donated a home shirt and ball signed by this year's first-team squad to the cause.
Other items up for grabs include Morecambe FC merchandise signed by their manager Derek Adams and a package of social media advertising for a business worth £1,100 donated by firm Media in a Box.
Fans have also been encouraged to contact her via her Bradford City Ribbons' Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, to donate their own memorabilia to be put up for auction. She is also continuing to sell her ribbons online too.
The Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) at the University of Bradford was founded by Professor David Sharpe following the fire disaster at Valley Parade on May 11, 1985 where 56 people died and 258 were injured.
Georgia is also selling her claret and amber ribbons, priced £1 per ribbon plus 85p postage. Every penny apart from postage costs will go to the burns unit.
Georgia's dad, Scott Thornton, said: "All the hard work she does, she does for nothing.
"If any supporters have any signed shirts to give to Georgia's appeal, then get in touch with us.
"We have stuff left from last year and she has also raided my wardrobe for City shirts.
"We have people interested in the ribbons. Georgia has even made the Bradford City ribbons for funerals of people who supported the club. She made them for them and has been doing that throughout the last year."
Hoping we can all be back at Valley Parade soon 🙏🎗❤️.
— Bradford City Ribbons (@BCAFC_RIBBONS) April 28, 2021
I can post my ribbons out to for a donation so please send me a message if you would like one 🎗❤️🎗#BCAFC pic.twitter.com/ZosDdEHDpZ
Georgia added: "Hopefully I can get to £10,000 and maybe even more for the charity."
Professor Ajay Mahajan, consultant plastic surgeon and director of the burns unit, thanked Georgia for her continued fundraising feats.
He said: "Georgia has truly been an inspirational young lady who has worked very hard in the past to raise funds for us.
"She is back this year, determined to raise funds for us again.
"I am very grateful to her for her efforts and really proud to have her one of our unit’s ambassadors.
"The funds she raises with the help of our fellow Bantams will go a long way towards helping us continue with the work we do at the PSBRU at the University of Bradford. "I would like to thank the Bradford City in helping with this and other fundraising activities, as they have always done, and the people of Bradford for generously donating to our cause."
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