Community helps Chai Cancer Care raise staggering £2.6m

Baking, wacky hairstyles and special events in shuls has helped a community cancer charity raise £2.6m.

Chai Cancer Care’s ‘One BIG Community’ initiative galvanized more than 300 fundraising teams and 9,000 donors across the country over the weekend, to help fund its services for the coming year.

Starting on Thursday, activities included a ‘Challah Dough Disco’ featuring the Challah Mummy Allegra Benitah, during which 35 women participated in an event organized by Micaela Chetrit, whose mother died from cancer five years ago.

Fundraising also took place across 17 schools, as thousands of students turned up for a ‘mad hair day’ last Friday with all funds going towards Chai in Schools, supporting young people with the disease.

Over Shabbat, more than 130 synagogues and communities used purple decorations during kiddushes and havdalahs to raise awareness, with rabbis using sermons to speak about Chai and its work.

Chai’s online fundraiser started on Sunday morning with volunteers taking to the streets and shops to promote the charity’s work.

Among activities taking place were with young volunteers from Project ImpACT, who fundraised at Tesco Brent Cross, while the charity’s supporters stood at tills at shops such as Kosher Kingdom in Borehamwood and Brackman’s in Manchester.

Chai Chairman Louise Hager said, “our annual running costs are £3.5m, and the demand on cancer support charities is only likely to rise as a result of the ongoing Covid pandemic.

“For the community to support us to such an extent in a year where our fundraising opportunities have been reduced yet again, is truly wonderful. We are so thankful, grateful and inspired by the outpouring of love and affection from across the country and further afield.”

After the fundraising drive came to a close, chief executive, Lisa Steele said: “It was important for us that, this year, our campaign was not just a fundraiser but also something that would include the whole community. ‘One BIG Community for Chai’ reached tens of thousands of people over the whole weekend and illustrates and confirms how we are always there for the community and, the community is always there for Chai.”

The funds raised will be used to support all Chai Cancer Care’s services and running costs for the year ahead.