YORKSHIRE CANCER RESEARCH TEAMS UP WITH THE TIGERS

THE country's biggest regional charity, Yorkshire Cancer Research, has teamed up with Hull City AFC for the new football season following a highly successful partnership with the club in 2009/10.

The two Yorkshire-based organisations first joined forces in July 2009 to launch Let's Kick Cancer - a high profile campaign which aimed to raise awareness of cancer and highlight the internationally-recognised medical research currently being funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR) at the region's five main universities and associated teaching hospitals.

Let's Kick Cancer enabled several major fundraising initiatives to take place at The KC Stadium - the home of the Tigers - in aid of Yorkshire Cancer Research including a televised YCR match between Hull City AFC and Manchester United, a YCR Cash 4 Clothes recycling event, big screen text appeals and match bucket collections.

Now bosses from both sides are keen to repeat that success so they can continue exposing the life-saving work of the cancer charity across the whole of the Yorkshire region.

Yorkshire Cancer Research's new Chief Executive Mark Stevens said. "Our ultimate mission is to promote research in Yorkshire into the causes and cures of cancer and inform as many people as possible about the life-changing work that we do and have done for 85 years.

"Teaming up with Hull City AFC again this season helps us to do this as it allows us to raise our profile, stage extra fundraising events and have our YCR logo on all Hull City AFC Stationery and on match programmes for example.

"It's so important cancer sufferers right here in Yorkshire continue to be able to access some of the best cancer treatments and therapies in the world that we are currently funding at our five Yorkshire universities.

"But we need to raise literally millions each year to make this research happen and partnering with high profile clubs like Hull City AFC is an effective way of letting millions of people know what we do every day."

Hull City AFC's Chief Executive Mark Maguire added. "As a professional football club we have a unique responsibility to work with our community and with charities to make a difference to people's lives.

"We are privileged to exist in the world of sport and it is partnerships like this, with a locally based charity, who make a huge impact in a very important area, which should be at the very heart of what we do.

"We are determined to support Yorkshire Cancer Research in a pro active fashion and are proud to be associated with their magnificent efforts for another year."

[Pictured: Robert Koren helps launch the 2010/11 partnership with Yorkshire Cancer Research]