Charity walk and dog show in memory of Tyrone student

A BEREAVED Tyrone family is hoping that a forthcoming dog show will help them hit a £50,000 fundraising target.

The canine event, as well as a memory walk, will take place in Dungannon Park next weekend to benefit ‘three wonderful charities’ who supported local student, Peter Nesbitt, during his battle with cancer.

Remembered as a fun-loving, energetic 20-year-old student, Peter unfortunately passed away in May 2015, following a diagnosis of a rare brain tumour in June 2014.

Peter had a love for music, was an avid viola player, guitarist and drummer who had an interest in all things music and film, and even featured regularly as an extra on HBO’s smash-hit series ‘Game of Thrones’.

The Nesbitt family were supported by three cancer charities during Peter’s illness.

In a bid to return that kindness, they formed the charity group ‘Peter and Friend’s’ and have raised nearly £50,000 since Peter’s passing.

Peter’s father, Melvin explained, “We just need another £2,000 to hit £50,000 for our chosen charities.”

These charities are: Friends of Cancer Centre, Young Lives vs Cancer and Cancer Fund for Children.

Having organised their first fundraiser prior to Peter’s passing, Melvin said his beloved son was passionate about raising money for those who looked after him throughout his illness.

“Peter originally came up with the idea of raising £1000 for each of the three charities who helped with his care,” he explained.

“It wasn’t long before we hit our target – and the event we had organised hadn’t even happened yet!

“So, Peter suggested we could aim to raise £3000 for each charity, and again, we exceeded our expectations far beyond what we ever imagined.”

By the time their first event had taken place, Peter and his family managed to raise a stunning £27,000 for their selected charities.

Their last memory walk and dog show was in August 2021 and they raised a whopping £2,400 in memory of Peter.

Now, with the family hoping to raise £2,000 in order to smash their £50,000 target, they want to welcome you and your four-legged friends to attend their memory walk and dog show in Dungannon Park on Saturday, April 22.

There is a £10 entry fee for adults and free entry for children, and all participants will be awarded a medal.

Registration is from 11am and the dog show will begin at 12.30pm with special prizes for the top three contestants.