Melinda Thompson, a probation officer from Croydon and her friends are planning a late night charity rave in memory of her mother.
The rave will celebrate the life of her mother who died of cancer when Melinda was just 18. Her father passed away when she was 11.
She said: “The bond between myself and my mum was unbelievable, I can’t describe it. My aim in life is to prevent any child from feeling my pain.”
In 2010, Melinda, fellow probation officer Charlene Douglas and other family members ran the 5km Race for Life. It was a huge challenge for Melinda as she suffers from chronic arthritis in the hips and knees.
The rave will be held on the 9th June and will be held at one of Croydon’s largest venues, the Roxbury. Melinda has arranged for 35 DJs to donate their time for free.
She said: “We didn’t know anything in 2010 – I turned to Charlene and said how do we get a DJ? But you don’t get anything without working and passion – you have to want it.”
The Celebration of Life event has already raised £8,000 over the past two years for Cancer Research. Melinda arranged the event with the help of her DJ friend Allan Brando and she hopes that this year she will raise more money than ever before.
She said: “Roxbury has offered us the venue for free and can host up to 1,800 people. If we sell out we can definitely hit that total.”
The rave will start at 10pm and go on until 5am. Tickets cost £12.50 and all proceeds will be split between the Royal Marsden Hospital and Kings College Hospital.
To order a ticket call 07947 755 341 or 07795 577 843.