BATLEY BULLDOGS chairman Kevin Nicholas has urged fans to back the ‘Walk for Becca’ as the club intensify existing efforts to raise funds for and awareness of breast cancer charities after the wife of one of their players was diagnosed with the disease.
Prop Luke Cooper, 31, recently stepped away from the game to focus on supporting wife Becca and the couple’s two children as she undergoes treatment.
Cooper joined hometown club Batley in 2024 after long service with Featherstone and a loan spell at Doncaster.
And on Friday, April 10, the Bulldogs are staging a sponsored walk from Featherstone to the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium (around eleven miles).
Nicholas has since 2014 helped stage an annual Pink Weekend at the ground on behalf of breast cancer charities, and is this year aiming to go past the £250,000 mark in total money raised.
“Luke’s circumstances show the importance of our Pink Weekend (generally in August),” explained the long-serving supremo.
“We need to raise £22,000 to get to £250,000, and as part of that initiative we are staging our Walk for Becca.
“She will be off work for at least six months, and we want to show our support for her, Luke and their children at this tough time and to get to £250,000 raised in total.
“The £22,000 is a big target, but we will do what we can to reach it, and the support of fans of all clubs is so valuable.
“We have a JustGiving page, while supporters can also donate at our Good Friday game against Dewsbury (5.00 at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium) via the club bar or a club official.
“And anyone who wants to join the walk and raise at least £100 for the cause can get in touch with me at the club.”
Having had a two-weekend break, James Ford’s Batley side are back in action away to London Broncos on Sunday.