Post by audrey013 on Jul 1, 2011 21:59:17 GMT
Hi Everyone,
I have received many messages recently asking for news of the Jet Harris Memorial Fund. Also, with the discussions about the book, Billie Davis and The Rapiers’ tribute show this weekend, and the fact that it would have been Jet’s 72nd birthday next Wednesday (6 July), I guess that, naturally, Jet is in the minds of many people at the moment. So, Janet and I wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to date with what has been happening. First, a message from Janet:
“Hi Everyone,
I want to thank all of you once again for the ongoing support that you’ve been giving to Jet’s memory. Also, thank you to all the people who have written to say how they felt about Jet and what he meant to them. As you can imagine, this is still a very painful time for me, but it means so much to read your kind words. I hope to be able to meet up with some of you in the near future.
In the meantime, Audrey and I have been talking about how best to use the donations given to the Jet Harris Memorial Fund. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has donated so far. We will announce the total that has been donated very shortly.
When the fund was started, we said that the money was to go to cancer research and so we have spent much time looking at the work done by the various charities. I’m really pleased to be able to tell you that we have found a research project taking place at Imperial College, London and supported by Cancer Research UK. The research trials are being conducted into ‘Cancer of Unknown Origin’. This is the type of cancer that Jet had. We have met with representatives of Cancer Research UK and we have decided that the donations from the Jet Harris Memorial Fund will be given specifically to support this important research.
We also wondered whether we could do a bit more. We thought how great it would be to try to fund this project in Jet’s name. So, we are currently talking to Cancer Research UK about whether to link the Jet Harris Memorial Fund with CR-UK with the aim of continuing to raise funds specifically for this research project.
Jet was very brave, but it was terrible for me, and for others close to us, to see him endure endless tests, biopsies, scans, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and yet to know that the primary site of his cancer was never found. This is something almost incomprehensible to me. It breaks my heart to know that the research is too late for Jet, but I hope that you will help us to make a real difference to help people who may be diagnosed with ‘Cancer of Unknown Primary’ in the future. What a wonderful thing this would be to do in memory of Jet.
I’ve asked Audrey to be the contact person and to take this forward on my behalf, but we’re in constant touch so I will be involved all the time!
Thank you again,
Janet”
Just a quick footnote from me … this is really only a first update about the Memorial Fund and to let you know of our idea of raising funds for this research project through a linking of the Jet Harris Memorial Fund with Cancer Research UK. We had hoped to make a proper announcement just before Jet’s birthday, but the person we’re liaising with at CR-UK is on holiday!! So, please bear with us, we’ll have a lot more information available in the coming days/weeks. In the meantime – if you want to know more - or if you think that you might be able to organise a fundraising event, or offer ANY help at all – please contact me by PM, email, etc.
We all know how much Jet loved his fans. He always had time for everyone …even when he was very ill he was still determined not to let anyone down and he continued to perform until a few weeks before his death. I know that we all have time constraints and money worries – but please think about whether you can give just a little time to help us to do this in memory of Jet. We can’t do it without you!!
Best wishes and many thanks,
Audrey
I have received many messages recently asking for news of the Jet Harris Memorial Fund. Also, with the discussions about the book, Billie Davis and The Rapiers’ tribute show this weekend, and the fact that it would have been Jet’s 72nd birthday next Wednesday (6 July), I guess that, naturally, Jet is in the minds of many people at the moment. So, Janet and I wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to date with what has been happening. First, a message from Janet:
“Hi Everyone,
I want to thank all of you once again for the ongoing support that you’ve been giving to Jet’s memory. Also, thank you to all the people who have written to say how they felt about Jet and what he meant to them. As you can imagine, this is still a very painful time for me, but it means so much to read your kind words. I hope to be able to meet up with some of you in the near future.
In the meantime, Audrey and I have been talking about how best to use the donations given to the Jet Harris Memorial Fund. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has donated so far. We will announce the total that has been donated very shortly.
When the fund was started, we said that the money was to go to cancer research and so we have spent much time looking at the work done by the various charities. I’m really pleased to be able to tell you that we have found a research project taking place at Imperial College, London and supported by Cancer Research UK. The research trials are being conducted into ‘Cancer of Unknown Origin’. This is the type of cancer that Jet had. We have met with representatives of Cancer Research UK and we have decided that the donations from the Jet Harris Memorial Fund will be given specifically to support this important research.
We also wondered whether we could do a bit more. We thought how great it would be to try to fund this project in Jet’s name. So, we are currently talking to Cancer Research UK about whether to link the Jet Harris Memorial Fund with CR-UK with the aim of continuing to raise funds specifically for this research project.
Jet was very brave, but it was terrible for me, and for others close to us, to see him endure endless tests, biopsies, scans, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and yet to know that the primary site of his cancer was never found. This is something almost incomprehensible to me. It breaks my heart to know that the research is too late for Jet, but I hope that you will help us to make a real difference to help people who may be diagnosed with ‘Cancer of Unknown Primary’ in the future. What a wonderful thing this would be to do in memory of Jet.
I’ve asked Audrey to be the contact person and to take this forward on my behalf, but we’re in constant touch so I will be involved all the time!
Thank you again,
Janet”
Just a quick footnote from me … this is really only a first update about the Memorial Fund and to let you know of our idea of raising funds for this research project through a linking of the Jet Harris Memorial Fund with Cancer Research UK. We had hoped to make a proper announcement just before Jet’s birthday, but the person we’re liaising with at CR-UK is on holiday!! So, please bear with us, we’ll have a lot more information available in the coming days/weeks. In the meantime – if you want to know more - or if you think that you might be able to organise a fundraising event, or offer ANY help at all – please contact me by PM, email, etc.
We all know how much Jet loved his fans. He always had time for everyone …even when he was very ill he was still determined not to let anyone down and he continued to perform until a few weeks before his death. I know that we all have time constraints and money worries – but please think about whether you can give just a little time to help us to do this in memory of Jet. We can’t do it without you!!
Best wishes and many thanks,
Audrey
