The campaign for a statue of Ipswich Town’s greatest ever player, Kevin Beattie, has now reached £20,000 in less than two months.
Donations continue to pour in for the appeal, which will crowd-fund a statue of The Beat following his sudden death in September at the age of 64.
The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star has launched the appeal – called The Beat Goes On – in conjunction with BBC Radio Suffolk and the TWTD website.
MORE: Donate to the appeal
BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy said: “I’ve been really touched by the lovely messages about Beat which have come in alongside the donations.
“It’s reinforced to me what a special place he has in the hearts of Ipswich Town fans past and present. People of all ages have dug deep, to each and everyone one of them, thank you. We’re well on the way to a permanent memorial to a great footballer and genuinely nice guy.”
Brad Jones, editor of the EADT and Ipswich Star, said: “It’s great to hit this milestone so soon after the launch, and we have to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated. It shows what a brilliant bunch of supporters Ipswich Town has.
“We know there’s a long way to go, but we have some really special events in the pipeline which are going to accelerate the fundraising. Details of these will be announced soon.”
The statue will be erected in Portman Road and will be made by Suffolk sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, who did the statues of both Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson.
The current fundraising target is £110,000, though it is hoped this will be reduced as the project progresses.
A number of events have been organised over the coming weeks to help raise funds for the campaign.
On Friday March 15 at Somersham Village Hall, there is a fundraising quiz night with all proceeds going to the statue fund. Teams of four to six are welcome, costing £5 per person (including a jacket potato with choice of filling). There will be a licensed bar. Tickets will also be on sale at the Fanzone before home matches.
Meanwhile, there will be a night to remember The Beat at the Royal Hotel in Clacton on the evening of February 26, featuring Ipswich Town legends Paul Mariner, Eric Gates and Brian Talbot.
The evening will include a collection for the statue appeal.
How you can donate to the appeal:
• Send cheques made payable to ‘The Beat Goes On’ to Kevin Beattie Statue Appeal, EADT, Portman House, 120 Princes Street, Ipswich, IP11RS
• Visit the crowdfunding page and make a donation online here
• Collection buckets at reception of both the EADT office and BBC Radio Suffolk.
A new website has also been set up for the campaign. Visit via this link.
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