Societies raise over £1600 in memory of Grace Millane

Grace’s Memorial Cup took place on the week of 4th-11th December. Hosted by the Hockey Society, the event was in conjunction with what would have been Grace’s 23^rd birthday.

Over 20 societies were involved in the tribute, in which each society dedicated 100 minutes of a related activity to fundraise for chosen charities. These being White Ribbon, Lucie Blackman Trust and Women’s Aid.

Participants donated £2 to take part and £1 to spectate. With the cash donations alone, the event managed to raise £1,669.  When adding the ‘JustGiving’ page, the Hockey Society have nearly raised £3500 in total to be distributed between the three charities chosen by the society and Grace’s parents.

Each match composed of two team names personally named after Grace’s favourite foods. Pringles and Danny’s. The week worked as an inter-university varsity type event with the points being added up throughout. Pringles came out on top with 76 points, to Danny’s 58.

Organiser and fundraiser Emily Booth said: “We organised it that way so people can go along and cheer their team on as well as watch a different sport that they may have not watched before.”

As part of their 100-minute activity, The Cheerleading Society filled over 15 handbags with items for Grace’s family charity ‘Love Grace x’. These will be donated to women in local refuges who are victims of domestic violence.

“I knew as part of my role as the fundraiser would be to help raise as much as possible. Though personally I never knew Grace, I knew how much this would mean to the rest of the hockey society and people who knew her. It was so important to do for them. Even just getting hockey together for a tribute was amazing.”

With 2019 the first year of the event being held, Emily says that the society would like to make it an annual tribute.

“We would love to carry on her memory. We want people to know and remember her for who she really was, people from this university might have just heard of her from the news coverage, which has portrayed a particular image. By doing this we’ve been able to spread a positive memory of her, which is how it should be.”

University of Lincoln graduate Grace was murdered in December 2018 during a backpacking trip. The Hockey Society are still taking donations in her memory on their JustGiving page. To find out more information and on how to donate, visit the website.