Portsmouth family calls for trust's last Blue Day to be biggest and best yet

Cumberland Infant School, in Southsea, took part in a previous Blue Day

The fundraising event was launched by the Tom Prince Cancer Trust in memory of the 15-year-old who died from cancer.

His family set up the charity in 2004 with a target of raising £1m for research into osteosarcoma, the rare bone cancer Tom was diagnosed with.

As part of their fundraising efforts, the Prince family launched News-backed Blue Day after Pompey, of which Tom was a huge fan and season ticket-holder, reached the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Thanks to the event and other fundraisers organised by the Tom Prince Cancer Trust, in 2016 they reached their £1m target.

The large sum has now been invested into osteosarcoma research at the University College London.

With the family reaching this final landmark moment, this year’s Blue Day will be the last organised by the trust.

Now they are calling on everyone in Portsmouth and the surrounding areas to make it the best one yet.

Adele, Tom’s mum, from Fratton, said: ‘We are holding another Blue Day, like we have done every year since 2008.

‘It would be great if this last one by us was as big as the first.

‘We want to celebrate with Portsmouth and show our thanks to everyone who has taken part and Blue Day is a wonderful way to do this.

‘It is always a great day but it would be wonderful to once again turn the city blue for Tom.’

The £1m has been used to set up the Tom Prince Osteosarcoma Research Project, led by Professor Adrienne Flanagan, a lead in the field of osteosarcoma.

This year’s Blue Day will be held on Friday, May 4 – the day before Pompey’s final home game of the season.

Registration for the event will be open soon.

n For more details and to keep up-to-date, visit tomprince.co.uk.