A BINGO night, which was held last month at Frome Town FC, raised just over £2,000 towards a special trike for Christmas for a local girl.
Keisha Norris, who has hypermobility, epilepsy and X Ring Turner syndrome, wanted one thing for Christmas – a trike so she could join her siblings on bike rides and exploring.
Her mum, Sarah, organised a bingo event at Frome Town FC clubhouse to help fund the £4,000 cost of the trike and she raised over £2,000 on the night, thanks to the generosity of local people. The rest of the money was donated by the Lions Club of Westbury.
Speaking to the Frome Times, Sarah said, “We would like to thank everybody for their kind donations of prizes for the bingo event and to those who made cash donations.”
“Keisha really wanted a trike for Christmas so she could join the rest her siblings on bike rides, but when we looked into buying one that was specifically designed for her, the price sky-rocketed to £4,000. It was just too expensive for us, especially given the rising prices of everything recently.
“My husband is Keisha’s carer and I’m currently out of work due to health problems, so I thought I’d organises a fundraiser to see if anyone locally may be able to help her as I knew it would just make her Christmas.
“I organised a bingo event and spoke to various shops in Westbury and Frome who all kindly donated to the fundraiser. Before we actually started the bingo event, I was approached by a total stranger who donated £1,000 which I was just blown away by!
“Following the bingo event and loads of other generous people chipping in, we managed to raise just over £2,000 on the night – that’s when the Lions Club of Westbury kindly stepped in and donated the rest.
“I think Keisha was heartbroken in the summer when she realised she couldn’t ride a normal bike with her siblings. This trike will allow her to enjoy normal life, which is just priceless.”
FTFC Bingo takes place on Monday and Thursdays at the Frome Town Football Club. Doors open 6pm Eyes down 7.30pm.