Rockets fundraiser draws to a close, but you can still support powerchair football

After a week of prodding you every single day, we have reached the end of our Villa Rockets Powerchair Football Club fundraiser. While we didn't reach our goal of £5,000, I have no problems calling this effort a complete success. Thanks to the generosity of 22 donors, we were able to raise £515. That's a long way from what we were hoping for, but when you realize that every single pound will go to the Villa Rockets, it's hard not to be happy.

To put things into perspective, we had initially considered a goal of £1,500 rather than £5,000. We settled on the bigger number because it gave us something tangible to work towards: a new powerchair. But the £1,500 represents what it costs the Rockets to operate every year once you take out dues and fees that they collect. So £1,500 would get one year of operation for the Villa Rockets. We just assured four months of operation.

That's four months in which people like Nicky Baker and Bradley Addison can continue to play. Four months in which manager Clive Morley and coach Martin Mills can focus on football and not fundraising.

And our commitment to the Rockets is not done today. I have invited the club to send us match reports to be published on this site whenever we get them. Every single one will contain a link to the Rockets' main donation page, which can be found here. If you find yourself reading and you've got £1, £2, or £5 to spare, send some money their way. There's a pretty good chance that this fundraiser will return again next year, too.

Finally, I want to say a few thank yous. First, to James Rushton, who found the Rockets on Facebook, brought them to my attention, and worked his tail off to help make this fundraiser a success. Secondly, to everyone who donated to the Rockets and read or shared these stories.

Finally, I want to thank the Rockets themselves. Nicky, Clive, and Martin all gave their time; and everyone in the organization supports an incredible cause. Keep up the amazing work, and I know I speak for everyone reading when I say that we can't wait to hear about your successes and wish you the best of luck!

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