Two sisters living 5,500 miles apart have raised almost £3,000 for the centre where their mother is getting cancer treatment.
Childminder Sarah Barnes, 35, of Wisbech St Mary, and her older sister Claire Vaughan, 37, a photographic model who lives in Frazier Park near Los Angeles, staged events in aid of Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Macmillan Chemotherapy Centre.
Mrs Barnes decided, since she is afraid of heights, she would face her demons and go sky-diving, although she had to pull out after finding out she was pregnant.
Her husband Andrew stepped into the breach and did the jump for her.
Mrs Vaughan produced an informal dinner for 80 covers in her local Moose Lodge.
The dinner was accompanied with live music and featured a raffle and an auction of donated items ranging from western horse saddles to limited-edition motorcycle helmets and works of art.
The cheque was presented to the chemotherapy centre on behalf of the sisters by Mrs Barnes and her mother.
Mrs Gray said: “I am incredibly proud of both my daughters and tremendously grateful to Andrew for stepping in for Sarah.
“The generosity of the people of California was also overwhelming and it seems incredible that people so far away should be so generous with their cash for a hospital in a town that most of them have never even heard of.
“I am delighted that so much has been raised to help local cancer sufferers.”
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