PGA and European Tour Star Colin Montgomerie joined Maggie's
Aberdeen staff and supporters for a special event this week, celebrating the
city’s cancer care centre’s milestone achievement of 80,000 visits since
opening in 2013.
The World Golf Hall of Famer, who is in town to host the 2024
Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, posed for photos and chatted with supporters
during the intimate event Monday evening at Maggie's Aberdeen centre.
Montgomerie, a longtime cancer care supporter who created the Elizabeth Montgomerie Foundation
in memory of his mother, led Monty's Maggie's Appeal - a fundraising drive
which helped establish Maggie's Aberdeen in 2013.
The
Elizabeth
Montgomerie Foundation was also the principal
funder of Maggie’s Lanarkshire.
Montgomerie said “It’s wonderful to be back at this extraordinary centre marking
80,000 visits from people living with cancer.
“I
have achieved a lot in golf but it’s the Maggie’s centres that fill me with the
greatest pride. To
know they are here for people at what is an incredibly difficult time is very
powerful.
“It’s nearly 35 years since
my Mum died but afterwards, I just wanted to give something back and I know
Maggie’s will keep supporting people for many years to come.”
Colin with expert staff at cancer support centre Maggie’s in Aberdeen
Vera Schroeter, Maggie’s Aberdeen centre head, hopes that having the Ryder Cup legend visit Maggie's Aberdeen will help raise awareness of the support the centre provides and encourage more men living with cancer to come in for support - whether they have a diagnosis themselves or are supporting a loved one with cancer.
She said: "We were delighted to welcome Colin back to the centre. We are keen to help men understand how we can support them and hope his visit might help raise awareness amongst men. We recognise that for many people it's not easy to make the first step of asking for help.
"Maggie’s offers a range of activities for men with cancer or those supporting a loved one, such as support getting ready for treatment, dealing with the effects of treatment, accessing financial support, or help with caring for a loved one.
"We also work with Prostate Scotland to deliver a course for men with prostate cancer. We would like to encourage men to contact us or come into the centre to speak to one of our professional team, so we can find the ways to best support them."
Richard Stewart, centre fundraising manager at Maggie's Aberdeen, highlighted the centre's continued need for support.
He said: "The support we provide at Maggie’s is free, and no appointment or referral is needed. There’s also no time limit on our support, we’re here for as long as we're needed. To be here for people living with cancer from Aberdeen and the surrounding area at what is possibly the hardest time of their lives, we rely on the kindness and generosity of our supporters..
"We need to raise £631,000 in 2024 and we are working hard to achieve that goal. There are many ways to support Maggie's and every donation, regardless of size, will help ensure we are here for people with cancer and their families and able to provide the support they need."
Anyone interested in supporting Maggie's Aberdeen can find more information about the cancer care charity by visiting https://www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/Aberdeen.