By John Walsh

Last updated at 12:14, Thursday, 12 April 2012

CUMBRIAN pigeon fanciers have given a major boost to a three-year-old boy needing £40,000 for a major operation in America.

Sunday’s charity auction at the Falcon Cub, Egremont raised £9,500 for the family of Leon Harrison who has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

Organiser Danny Rodgers of the Cleator Moor club said: “It’s been a wonederful effort by a lot of people to raise this kind of money from the sale of pigeons, special donations and a raffle on the day.

“A lot of hard work by a number of people has made this sale possible and we are all delighted that it raised so much money.”

There were 103 birds up for auction and the top price of £850 was paid by a Doncaster fancier for a youngster from the top Lanarkshire loft of G. W. and P. Macaloney.

Fanciers from the West Cumberland, Derwent Valley, East Cumberland and Furness Federations donated young birds for the auction, as well as top lofts from around the UK.

The 2012 racing season starts on Saturday with both the Derwent Valley and West Cumberland Federations racing from Leyland.

First published at 12:00, Thursday, 12 April 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk