A SUFFOLK father today hopes a giant charity karting event will be a fitting honour to his wife who died of breast cancer. Glenn Rossell, 29, from Brome, wants to raise at least £20,000 for Cancer Research by staging a series of races across ten karting centres.

A SUFFOLK father today hopes a giant charity karting event will be a fitting honour to his wife who died of breast cancer.

Glenn Rossell, 29, from Brome, wants to raise at least £20,000 for Cancer Research by staging a series of races across ten karting centres.

He is now appealing for more than 100 volunteers to sign up for the event, which begins on May 22 at Red Lodge Karting Centre near Newmarket.

Mr Rossell, who works in Bacton, has titled the event The Amanda Rossell Memorial Challenge after his 34-year-old wife who died in September.

He said: “I wanted to do something positive to try to prevent others having to go through what Amanda went through.

“The more money Cancer Research UK can get through the door, the faster they can carry out research and develop new drugs.”

Amanda had just given birth to twins Maja and Imogen when she discovered a lump in her breast in April 2003.

Mr Rossell said: “When we went for the results our world just fell apart. We were expecting to be told there was nothing to worry about but the doctor said 'I'm afraid it's cancer'.”

Amanda was given several weeks of chemotherapy but this had little effect so she underwent a mastectomy - the removal of a breast - in October 2003.

For a time she felt well again, but she collapsed after a family holiday and was told the cancer had spread to her brain. She died in September last year - just 18 months after giving birth to the twins.

Just weeks after Amanda's funeral, Mr Rossell began planning the giant fundraiser in her memory, which will culminate in a grand finale at Red Lodge on August 21.

He said: “Amanda was the kindest, most caring person you could meet. She had natural beauty, a fantastic smile and an amazingly infectious laugh.

“I'm hoping it will appeal to people's competitive nature, but the most important thing is knowing the money we're raising is helping stop cancer in it's tracks.”

Nicola Stapleton, community fundraiser for Cancer Research in Suffolk, said: “Glenn's determination to pull something so positive together after such a traumatic experience is truly inspirational.”

Fundraisers need to pledge at least £200, which includes all entry fees. There is £500 prize money up for grabs.

To register or find out more about the Amanda Rossell Memorial Challenge, please call Nicola on 01284 766311 or e-mail karting@cancer.org.uk

For further information about Cancer Research's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0207 009 8820 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org