IT was a place close to his heart and a charity which he had helped to raise vital funds for.
Ally McLaws, the late Herald on Sunday columnist, was a champion of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.
Through his role as communications director at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde he became linked with the hospice which at the time was raising £21 million for a purpose-built site in the grounds of Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park.
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He went on to become a trustee on the hospice’s board of directors and took part in runs and events to help raise funds for the hospice.
Now, following the first anniversary of his death on October 15, his widow Laura is launching a fundraising event in his memory. The Ally McLaws Spring Ball will be held on Saturday, April 29 2023 at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow. Hosted by DJ Gina McKee, it will be an evening for friends, family and those whose paths crossed with Ally who will be able to remember him and help support the work of the hospice.
Last Autumn Ally was admitted to hospital during ongoing treatment for terminal lung and brain cancer.
Even drafting his column from his hospital bed, Ally revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after being admitted to hospital. He died on October 15 last year at the age of 63.
Laura said: “Planning the fundraiser has given me something to focus on and is in memory of Ally and who he was. We have had a great response already from people. We have the venue and band in place and tables are being snapped up. There will also be a raffle on the night as well. It will be an evening for people to come together – the kind of Ally would have loved, but it is also a celebration of his life.
“He was on the board of the PPWH and ran several 10ks and also took part in the Bubble Rush. Our lives seem to have been intertwined with the hospice and raising funds for it in Ally’s memory seemed the right thing to do. He was a unique and special man in every way.
“Cancer has touched so many people’s lives and I know that Ally would want us to help others.”
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It was his weekly columns in our sister paper the Herald on Sunday where Ally would often mention Laura. He wrote openly and bravely about living with terminal cancer and often received letters from people or families going through a difficult time. Ally, who also worked for the Evening Times as news editor and latterly assistant editor, was also asked to join The Herald’s covid memorial campaign steering group and helped to shape the vision which eventually led to the memorial in Pollok Country Park.
Despite his health issues Ally, with Laura by his side, took on the Virtual Kiltwalk in 2020 to raise funds for the memorial and clocked up the miles walking on the Isle of Bute.
“His columns meant a great deal to him and he had such a response from them,” added Laura. “He would often hear from people who wrote to say they or a relative had just had a diagnosis and sometimes I could help as well – we were a team. He was honoured when he became part of the memorial steering group and really got behind it when he brought in the Harry Clarke group of companies with their £5000 pledge towards the fundraising target.”
Ally was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 and had an operation to remove a lung and hopefully cancer with it, but a follow-up scan detected the disease in his chest and blood cells. He also battled a major threat of septicaemia and was seriously ill in hospital.
In February 2021 he was given further devastating news that the cancer had spread and he underwent treatment for a brain tumour.
“It doesn’t seem like a year to me. I miss him every day, “Laura added. “We first knew each other in primary school, but it wasn’t until later in life that we met again and fell head over heels for one another. We lived life to the full.
“When Covid struck we isolated and were so careful and I do feel we were robbed of being able to do things due to the pandemic. I always called him my Santa [McLaws]. He used to say he was so proud that I was his wife and I couldn’t have loved him more.”
For tickets or raffle prize donations email Allymclawsspringball@yahoo.com
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