A regular supporter of Swansea’s very own cancer centre is pulling out all the stops for a big fundraising event taking place next month.
Haulage firm A.T. Morgan and Son is hosting a family fun day and truck pull in aid of the South West Wales Cancer Centre, or SWWCC.
Company co-owners, husband and wife duo Stephen and Helen Morgan are the driving force behind the event.
The programme includes inflatables for children, courtesy of Ospreys in the Community, food stalls, and a raffle with amazing prizes – as well as the truck pull itself.
Like so many other people, the couple’s lives have been touched by cancer. Daughter Megan sadly died in 2011 aged just 12 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Helen, whose father-in-law Alun Morgan founded the company 49 years ago, herself has a rare blood disorder that wipes out her immune system.
She has been cared for on Ward 12, the oncology and haematology ward which is part of the SWWCC at Singleton Hospital.
As a result, Helen and her work colleagues completed a sponsored walk to raise £2,500 for Ward 12. The company has also donated selection boxes to the children’s wards at Morriston Hospital.
Next up on the fundraising agenda is the Swansea Truck Pull 2024. It takes place at the firm’s yard in Crymlyn Burrows on Sunday 8th September, running from 11am until 4pm.
“It’s basically having teams of four people pulling an 8.5-ton tractor unit over 15 metres,” said Helen.
“It’s not a big strongman event. It’s for regular people to have some fun. I’m actually in a team of all-women, called Helen’s Hauliers.
“Every team is asked to raise £200 in sponsorship to go towards the cancer centre fund. We will have food stalls and Ospreys in the Community are coming with some inflatables to make it a family day.
“We’ve got 10-plus teams already signed up and the closing date was Friday, August 23rd.
“There are prizes for the winning team and a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers each. There’s also a bottle of champagne each for the runners-up and an award for the best-named team.
“We’ve had some peculiar names come in so far. It’s been quite entertaining to see what the names are.”
There will also be food stalls and a raffle, with prizes including a signed Ospreys shirt and ball, a chocolate hamper, a £100 sports therapy voucher and an Amazon Echo Dot.
Helen added: “We have a T-shirt, which is quite comical. It’s a print of someone pulling a tractor unit and it has ‘I pulled at the Swansea Truck Pull 2024’ on it. They cost £15, with £10 covering printing and £5 going straight to the South West Wales Cancer Fund.”
This fund is part of Swansea Bay Health Charity, the health board’s official charity.
It raises money for pioneering research, cutting-edge equipment, enhancing buildings and spaces, patient and family well-being and staff training not covered by core NHS funding.
“There are so many people touched by cancer,” said Helen. “People who have gone through it and have recovered, or unfortunately haven’t survived it. My own dear uncle is being treated for cancer at the moment.
“But the staff are phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal, with the care and the attention they provide. They are amazing people who treat really heartbreaking cases. It’s a sad place but it’s also a happy place.”
