Cup clubs backing charity's mission

Fans attending the surviving second and third round ties which beat the weather will see adverts and flyers promoting the Daniel Wilkinson Foundation in their matchday programmes as the EVO-STIK League continues a season of support for the charity which was set up by the family and friends of the late Shaw Lane defender who sadly died in September 2016 after collapsing on the pitch during an Integro League Cup clash.

Aged 24, the Ducks star was was later found to have suffered from underlying heart condition Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and his parents Barry and Gillian Wilkinson have been raising funds ever since to prevent other young players dying needlessly through heart screening, the purchase of defibrillators and CPR training.

The EVO-STIK League pledged to support the foundation when clubs were competing in the competition's showpiece cup during the historic 50th anniversary season last summer and the Wilkinsons sent their thanks to clubs and fans back in November for helping to them to raise over £40,000 so far in their son’s name.

More than £1,000 alone was added to the total at the inaugural Daniel Wilkinson Memorial Trophy match between 2016-17 EVO-STIK League South champions Shaw Lane and Brighouse Town at the latter's Dual Seal Stadium on the eve of the new campaign.

A former Hull City youth team star, who also turned out for North Ferriby United, Scarborough Athletic, Harrogate Town, Goole Town and Rushall Olympic, Dan passed away on September 12 2016 after collapsing on the pitch just under an hour into his side's cup clash at the Dual Seal Stadium and despite the best efforts of medics from both clubs and the emergency services to treat him using Town's own defibrillator and administering CPR.

The defender was later found to have the same disease that caused former Bolton star Fabrice Muamba to retire from football in 2012 after collapsing during an FA Cup tie at Spurs. That incident prompted the Football Association to team up with the British Heart Foundation to subsidise the cost of defibrillators for more than 900 clubs at Steps 1 to 5 following lobbying from a number of competitions including the EVO-STIK League.

The FA announced in August that the initiative was being relaunched following its previous success when more than half the clubs in the EVO-STIK League took advantage of the subsidy to purchase the life-saving equipment. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, defibrillators have been made mandatory at all EVO-STIK League grounds.

Find out more about The Daniel Wilkinson Foundation via the charity's social media channels and website:
Twitter @dannywilks5
Facebook thedanielwilkinsonfoundation
Instagram dwfoundation5
Website thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org
Email contact@ thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.org

To donate, visit: mydonate.bt.com/charities/thedanielwilkinsonfoundation.

Images courtesy of Shaw Lane & Brighouse Town

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