Fundraisers rally in memory of Sam
THE heartbroken family of a Salford Priors teenager who died in a tragic road traffic collision last month, say their son would have been extremely proud of the fundraising efforts being made in his memory.
Samual Orchard, aged 16, died following a road traffic collision between Bidford and Honeybourne on 14th September. Since his death, tributes to Sam, whose funeral was held last Wednesday, have painted a picture of a popular boy whose selfless support for local charities and community groups, touched many lives.
A number of fundraising events have now been organised in his memory, helping charities such as Redwings Horse Sanctuary, the Midlands Air Ambulance and The Children’s Kayak Charitable Trust. Friends and neighbours along with Sam’s former head teacher, will be running marathons, while his former school, Alcester Academy, will be holding a non-uniform day.
Sam’s father, Darren, said: “It’s amazing how many people knew him and how many lives Sam touched. If we can raise some much-needed money for these charities in Sam’s memory then I think he would have been very proud.
“Sam was very conscious of money, he didn’t like to be in debt and made sure everything was paid for. If he knew that it had cost £5,000 to send out two air ambulances after his accident, he would want to repay them so they could continue to help others. That is why Helen and Paula have set a £5,000 fundraising target for the Midlands Air Ambulance.
“Sam was a member of The Children’s Kayak Charitable Trust (TCKCT) for around four-and-a-half years, working his way up from novice to teaching youngsters how to paddle, roll and control a kayak safely.
“His other love was animals and every year he sponsored a horse at Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Oxhill. That’s why we also want these two causes to benefit as they are run solely on charitable donations.
“We’re taking it just one day at a time at the moment, it’s still very raw and overwhelming. A lot of people have been upset by Sam’s death, particularly in the village, we didn’t realise just quite how many people he knew and would speak to.
"He has touched so many lives, I don’t think he ever realised just how special he was. We’re just heartbroken by what has happened.”
Helen Bowen and Paula Morris, who are friends and neighbours of Sam’s family, are set to take on the Great Birmingham Run on Sunday, dedicating their run to Sam.
Helen said: “When we heard the immeasurably tragic news about Sam, we were compelled to do something in his memory. Our close knit village community has been devastated at the loss of Sam, who was such a kind, caring young man.
“As friends and neighbours, we’ve watched all our children go through primary school and on to secondary, so we wanted to do something as a tribute to this special boy and to show our support for our friends, the Orchard family.
“The heroic actions of Midlands Air Ambulance meant that Sam’s family were not only able to spend special precious time with him but were also able to fulfil Sam’s wish to be an organ donor. We hope sponsorship of our marathon will fund two further missions by the Air Ambulance and help two more families in Sam’s name.”
The pair are aiming to raise £5,000 for the Midlands Air Ambulance, which came to Sam’s assistance following his accident. Commenting on the fundraising taking place at Alcester Academy, head teacher Paul Hyde, said: “Sam was a hugely successful student at Alcester Academy, a very selfless individual who had a lot of involvement with charities and community groups.
"There was never any condition to anything Sam did, he was never motivated by personal gain. Through talking to Sam’s family we have chosen to support Redwings Horse Sanctuary because it is a charity Sam was involved with.”
Paul will also be taking on a fundraising challenge himself, running the Snowdonia Marathon on 28th October. He too will be running in aid of Redwings Horse Sanctuary, knowing the charity was close to Sam’s heart and also that Sam had embarked on a college course in animal management after attaining 11 GCSEs.
Sam’s funeral was held at Salford Priors Church with mourners encouraged to make a donation instead of flowers. Alcester Academy closed at lunchtime to allow pupils to attend the funeral.
Sam’s family would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated so far.
To help Helen and Paula raise money for the Midlands Air Ambulance visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/helenb-paulam or to support Paul’s Snowdonia Marathon for Redwings Horse Sanctuary visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ paulhyde6?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Paul-Hyde6&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=wK2ggabEN To support TCKCT the link is: www.everyclick.com/samorchard
