Peter Kay helps raise funds at charity auction (From The Bolton News)

Peter Kay helps raise funds at charity auction

11:30am Wednesday 19th September 2007

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COMEDIAN Peter Kay helped boost a charity night in memory of a little boy who died earlier this year.

The Bolton comic and family man made a surprise appearance at the Charity Auction Night at the Reebok for Tommy D'Attorre, delighting the 400-plus guests who had supported the evening and helping push the night's total to more than £10,000.

"You couldn't not support this," he explained later, after he helped with the raffle and made a 45-minute stage appearance.

He joined the town's international boxing star Amir Khan, Bolton Wanderers' hero El Hadji Diouf and darts' ace Phil "The Power" Taylor in aiding Tommy's parents Ralph and Siobhain D'Attorre in their fund raising event.

The couple, from Hallbridge Gardens in Bolton, were devastated when their son Tommy died at just three months old from Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is the biggest genetic killer of very young children; one in 40 people is a carrier of the rogue gene which causes SMA.

Since Tommy's death, Ralph, Siobhain and their many supporters have not only been fund raising for the Jennifer Trust, which helps sufferers' families, but also to raise awareness of the condition.

And they had excellent support from a cross-section of the community for the black tie weekend event, with most tickets selling for £75 each.

They had gathered a host of top raffle and auction prizes. "But we found that some people who won raffle prizes even gave them back to be auctioned, raising a lot more money," said a delighted Ralph.

"We would like to thank everyone who helped us with this. It was a wonderful night. None of the guests really knew what to expect, but it became a great tribute to Tommy," he added. "We will never forget it."

Anyone who would like to donate or help with fund raising can either log on to www.tommysangelfund.co.uk or ring Ralph on 077868 44111.

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