A Christmas event on Morecambe Promenade including a parade, a giant snow globe and the famous floor piano from the film 'Big' will pay tribute to some of our community's much-missed young people.
The Team Reece Winter Wonderland Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 18 will honour Reece Holt, George Hinds and Sian Waterhouse.
Reece, who died aged 13 in 2019 after a brave battle with a rare form of brain cancer, set up the Team Reece charity with his family, to support other families across the UK who have a child who has been diagnosed with cancer.
It was Reece's wish for the charity to put on a Christmas event for the community.
Rachel O'Neil, Reece's mum, appeared on Beyond Radio on Tuesday night to talk about the origins of the event.
"For a long time, Reece wanted to do a Christmas event," said Rachel.
"This year, we thought it's been a shocking 18 months to two years for everybody, so we wanted to put on a Christmas event on Morecambe promenade, to bring the community together, give something back, and have some fun.
"Reece had a saying, 'if we're going to put an event on, we go big or go home', so we've decided to put on a big Christmas parade, with representatives from lots of different community groups."
The event opens at noon and will include a fairground, market stalls, food and drink including a bar, a giant snow globe and the famous floor piano danced on by actor Tom Hanks in the popular 1980s family film 'Big'. These activities will be located close to the back of the Midland Hotel.
The parade will start from the Clock Tower at 5pm and end at the Midland, with motorised entrants going on to the Battery.
There are no restrictions to who can enter, and businesses, community groups, schools or families are welcome.
It is free to enter, and the best entrants will receive the Reece Holt Memorial Trophy and a £500 Amazon voucher, the Sian Waterhouse Memorial Trophy and a £200 Love 2 Shop voucher, and the George Hinds Memorial Trophy and a £200 Argos voucher.
Sian was just 16 years old in 2018 when she tragically took her own life after being bullied. Sian’s family have since raised over £50,000 for Lancashire Mind alongside campaigning for mental help support and raising a huge amount awareness in her memory.
Little George was just two years old when he died in a gas explosion in Heysham. George’s family and friends have been fundraising to build a memorial park in his name and intend to continue fundraising in George’s name to support children’s charities in the future.
The Team Reece Winter Wonderland Christmas Parade has been supported by local businesses including Farrell Heyworth.
Laura Gittins from Farrell Heyworth, who also appeared on Beyond Radio on Tuesday, said: "When Rachel told us about this fantastic community event coming up, we couldn't wait to be involved."
Phill Hayward and Greg Lambert will also be representing Beyond Radio at the event.
Listen out for more updates on the Team Reece Winter Wonderland Christmas Parade coming soon to Beyond Radio.
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