‘The Alex Layton 4 Meningitis UK Handicap Stakes’ was held as the final race of the day at Pontefract Races in memory of Alex Layton who died of meningitis in 2001
John and Val Layton from Doncaster organised ‘The Alex Layton 4 Meningitis UK Handicap Stakes' at Pontefract Races on Sunday 30th July in memory of their daughter Alex who they lost to meningitis in 2001 aged 18 to raise lifesaving funds for Meningitis UK.
The day was a great success in both raising money to help Meningitis UK find a vaccine to eradicate meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia and raising awareness of how quickly the disease can strike. Volunteers did collections throughout the day and a raffle was also held to help raise money.
Steve Dayman, Chief Executive of Meningitis UK says "We are really grateful to John and Val for organising this race and for all their ongoing support in memory of Alex. We would also like to thank everyone who had a hand in making the day such a success. In most cases meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia develop so quickly there is little time to realise something is seriously wrong. Although successful vaccines exist to protect against some forms of meningitis, there is still no vaccine to protect against all strains of the disease, including the most common - Meningitis B. Meningitis UK has a single focus - to support research into finding a vaccine to eradicate meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia. Events such as this not only raise valuable funds to support our vital work, they also highlight these as diseases of national importance that cause suffering, heartache and devastation."
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
