Living Memorial To Toby Now In Its Seventh Year
For the seventh year running a very special fundraising cricket match is being organised in memory of a fun-loving, sports mad little boy whose life was tragically cut short by an undiagnosed heart condition.
August Bank Holiday has now become synonymous with "Toby's Day" in Poole Park, Dorset, and to date the event has raised more than £50,000 for Wessex Heartbeat. This year the Toby Bennett Memorial Cricket Match is being held on Monday August 31.
Toby Bennett was just eight years old when he collapsed while playing football with his friends and died shortly afterwards in November 2002. It was discovered that he had been suffering from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which is thought to be the second most common cause of unexpected sudden death in the young. His family and friends decided to organise "a living memorial" to Toby and arranged the first fundraising cricket match back in 2003.
That inaugural event raised a staggering £10,000 for Wessex Heartbeat and since then the cricket tournament has become an annual fixture and has also enabled the Poole Town Cricket Academy to be set up in Toby's memory. Toby, who lived in Ashley Cross, Lower Parkstone, was a former pupil of Lilliput First School and Buckholme Towers School and was known for his zest for life and love of sport. His first love was cricket and he was keen to emulate his father Mark and older brother Jamie who have both represented Dorset as cricketers. His family and friends have drawn comfort from the fact that the academy has had such a positive influence on local youngsters. The aim of the academy is to provide one-to-one specialist coaching for young players between the ages of 12-17 who show potential and are eager to achieve.
Toby's brother Jamie now coaches at the academy and the organisation is keen to build links with local schools to give youngsters an introduction to the sport. Toby's parents, Mark and Emma are both passionate about "Toby's Day" and would like to publicly thank family, friends and organisations who rally round to support the event, including their main sponsor Towngate Personnel, of Westbourne, Bournemouth.
This year's event takes place alongside Poole Park Fest 09 and is set to feature the charity cricket match as well as various stalls and attractions. Proceeds are to be divided between Wessex Heartbeat and the Poole Town Cricket Academy.
Tiffany Friend-Seddon, Fundraising Manager for Wessex Heartbeat said: ""The year-on-year support from Toby's Day has been phenomenal and really appreciated by everyone connected to Wessex Heartbeat, who feel that it is a fitting tribute to a cricket-loving little boy. The work of Wessex Heartbeat is very much based in the community supporting those who have suffered from or are at risk of suffering from heart disease, as well as their families. The Toby Bennett Memorial Cricket Match is a wonderful way to bring families together to share their interests and help to make a real difference to those affected by heart disease."
