Sam’s father Colm Bradley playing for Fermanagh against Mayo in 2004
Fermanagh and Mayo will clash this Saturday in a charity friendly with the biggest winner of the night sure to be little Sam Bradley.
‘Playing for Sam’ has a 6:00pm throw in, and both sets of players and management will be hoping that there is a big crowd in attendance so as 21 month old Sam and his newly set up ‘Care Fund’ will benefit as he battles a rare and aggressive form of children’s cancer.
His father, Colm, a former Fermanagh star, played against Mayo in the league in 2002 and 2003 seasons, and his mother, Michelle, is from Kiltimagh.
Colm along with family members, was involved from the start in arranging the match: “It’s something we wanted to organise to start the fund-raising and, yes, it was something obvious to us to try an arrange a football match.”
Meanwhile, his son, Sam, is currently undergoing treatment at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Belfast. Some of his treatment, however may have to take place in America and the family have set up this fund in his name to aid his on going care and any possible treatment abroad.
“We are delighted that Fermanagh and Mayo have thrown their weight behind Sam’s campaign,” Colm explained this week.
“And, it is sure to be a great game too. Mayo reached a league semi final this year and, of course the all Ireland final last year, while Fermanagh have been playing great stuff this season.”
There is no admission fee for the game at Brewster park, but patrons will have the opportunity to donate to the ‘Sam Bradley Care Fund’ once inside the turnstiles.
Saturday’s game will not be the first time that the GAA family have raised money for Sam, however with the Fermanagh players having already raised in excess of £4,000 for Sam during the course of the national league, with the toddler’s family touched by their kind gesture.
“We didn’t know they were doing any fundraising and when we found out we were blown away. It was an incredible thing to do and we really appreciated it,” Colm explained.
The weekend’s fund raising will get underway on Friday night with a quiz for Sam taking place in the clubhouse at Brewster park, with a 9:30pm start.
