England footballers lend support to Deutsche Bank Cure Leukaemia app hackathon
Melanie May | 11 July 2018 | News
England Football Manager Gareth Southgate and former England player Geoff Thomas are lending their support to a Deutsche Bank hackathon for Cure Leukaemia, taking place later this month.
On 19 and 20 July, volunteers from across Deutsche Bank’s global technical staff will spend 24 hours competing to come up with the best design for a mobile app for Cure Leukaemia, one of the bank’s Charities of the Year. Teams from the UK, India, Romania, Germany, Hong Kong, USA, Russia and Singapore will work around the clock to design an app that will connect leukaemia sufferers and their families worldwide through a dedicated Cure Leukaemia community. The resource will offer key information on their illness and suggestions that can help them throughout their battles, including ways to strengthen self-esteem and mental well-being, diet advice and what to expect throughout their treatment.
JustGiving will also be involved in the Hackathon offering advice on how to maximise the fundraising possibilities associated with the app.
England Football Manager Gareth Southgate helped Cure Leukaemia secure Deutsche Bank’s support during its Charities of the Year canvassing process.
He said:
“I was delighted to support my old Crystal Palace teammate Geoff Thomas and his charity Cure Leukaemia with a video message last year to help them secure the national support of Deutsche Bank in 2018 and 2019. The whole football world was shocked by Geoff’s blood cancer diagnosis in 2003 and I am in awe of all he has done to help other patients since then. Hearing that Deutsche Bank staff across the world are going to help Cure Leukaemia design a mobile app that could transform the lives of blood cancer patients on a global scale is incredibly exciting. I would like to wish all the participants the very best of luck for the ‘Hackathon’.”
Former England, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Nottingham Forest footballer and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas said:
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“So much has changed since I was diagnosed in 2003 with regards to treatment but many of the other aspects associated with battling this horrible disease remain. The same fears, uncertainties and feelings of loneliness are still felt, I’m sure, by patients around the world. This app has the potential to change that and benefit patients on a global scale and I would like to sincerely thank Deutsche Bank for giving Cure Leukaemia this fantastic opportunity.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.