A CHARITY football event on Saturday in memory of a Huntingdon teenager who died of a rare form of cancer has raised more than £1,000. Gary Usher, 17, of Stonely Close, died last month after spending three weeks in hospital. The former Huntingdonshire Reg

A CHARITY football event on Saturday in memory of a Huntingdon teenager who died of a rare form of cancer has raised more than £1,000.

Gary Usher, 17, of Stonely Close, died last month after spending three weeks in hospital. The former Huntingdonshire Regional College student had been diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytocis (LCH), a rare form of cancer primarily affecting children.

Only five weeks before his death, Gary had been a fit and healthy teenager. In an interview with The Hunts Post in August just days after he died, his mother, Julie Usher, said: "There was nothing wrong with Gary. It all happened so quickly and suddenly." She described her son as a boy who was "always smiling and laughing."

To honour his memory and to raise money for research into LCH, a charity football tournament was held at the BRJ Club in Sallowbush Road, Huntingdon. The event, which included raffles, auctions and a bouncy castle, was attended by Gary's friends, family and Huntingdonshire residents.

Gary's grandmother, Sue Dunkley, said the family was delighted with the amount of money raised. She said: "We were absolutely pleased as punch with how much we raised. The event saw Gary's mates getting together and just having some fun. Special thanks go to Adam Fitzsimons, who helped coordinate the event, local businesses and everyone who helped make the day a success."

The family are now hoping to make the charity football tournament an annual event in memory of Gary.

INFORMATION: LCH affects between 50 and 100 children a year in the UK. To find out more visit www.cancerbackup.org.uk