A special Halloween hat competition generated an explosion of colour and raised much-needed funds for Cancer Research Wales.
Emily aged 10, organised the competition which was well supported by her creative friends at Monmouth School Girls’ Prep.
Dale Evans, from Cancer Research Wales, had the near impossible task of judging the event, which was won by eight-year-old, Tilly, overall.
Emily’s brother, Tom, was just 13 years old and a quiet and considerate pupil at Monmouth School for Boys, when he died suddenly and unexpectedly in June.
Now friends and family of the brave and caring teenager are aiming to raise £100,000 in his memory to fund a research project.
After consultation with Tom’s family, Cancer Research Wales is planning to launch a dedicated fund in the teenager’s name to pay for a research project into leukaemia.
A three-year PhD studentship requires around £100,000 in funding and Tom’s family and friends are organising events to make this research project a reality.
Inspirational Emily said: “I always wanted to raise money for charity since my brother died from leukaemia only a few months ago.
“As a charity, Cancer Research Wales has been a big part of my life and I have always supported it.
“As soon as the posters went up around the school to promote my Halloween hat competition there was a lot of interest.
“I have had help from friends and friendly and it was lovely to have my parents along to support it on the day.
“All of the winning designs caught my eye.”
Less than three months before he died, before he knew he had leukaemia, Tom raised several hundred pounds for Cancer Research Wales.
Tom took part in a night hike up Pen y Fan, in which he was the youngest participant.
Tom’s 12-year-old sister Holly, a pupil at Monmouth School for Girls, is organising a swimathon, called Swim for Tom, on Sunday 6th January 2019.
For more information about the Swim for Tom event, please e-mail: swimfortom@gmail.com and online donations can be made by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/swimfortom
![](https://www.habsmonmouth.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/11/Halloween-Hats-5.jpg)
Emily aged 10, organised the competition.