Bexhill: School raises £100,000 in memory of Sophie Maria Taylor
Picture credit to Miranda Pennington
Sophie Maria Taylor passed away in 2017.
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A school in East Sussex collected over £100,000 for a cancer charity in honor of student Sophie Maria Taylor, who was from Hastings.
St Richard's Catholic College in Bexhill has been hosting a confidential art auction biennially to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in memory of Sophie, who passed away at the age of 13.
In the latest auction, famous people, painters, students, and regular people donated over 2,000 postcards with one-of-a-kind art. These postcards were then sold through an eBay auction towards the end of June.
Sophie's mom and dad, James and Luiza Taylor, expressed how grateful they are to know that this auction is assisting the Royal Marsden in their efforts to help other young individuals battling cancer.
Everyone Should Be Proud!
Private postcards were made and given by famous individuals like Fearne Cotton, Joe Lycett, Lorraine Kelly, Rev. Richard Cole, and Prue Leith.
The names of the artists were known prior to the auction, but buyers only discovered the creators of their artwork after the bidding had finished.
Author and illustrator Thomas Taylor, known for his work in children's literature, was able to raise over £4,000 through the sale of his artwork titled "Wizards".
Sophie's parents noticed that she found a lot of comfort in art during her treatment.
They also said: "We believe she would be incredibly pleased with all those who took part."
In the past auctions, around £82,500 has been raised since the program began in 2018, following Sophie's passing the year before.
Miranda Pennington, the art teacher and event planner, mentioned that they are still tallying up the funds and it's possible that they might reach around £110,000.
She was shocked by the total amount of money raised. She had wished to raise £30,000 this year.
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