Vets' player Sean Melling and his wife Julie have sent a thank you message to the club for all those who have contributed to their fund-raising efforts for the Mike Gregory Trust Fund. At their recent wedding celebration they unselfishly requested guests did not bring presents but made a donation to the Mike Gregory Trust Fund instead.
The grand total raised was £845, which included £200 from a raffle after the recent Vets game against Aspull, and a very generous bid of £60, in an impromptu auction, from the referee on the day, Alan from Eccles, for the Wigan Warriors Andy Farrell shirt kindly donated by Captain for the day Jason Brown.  
The couple send their thanks and best wishes to everyone at Wigan who made a contribution to this excellent total, a sentiment echoed by Mike's wife Erica.

Malcolm Holland and fellow members of the Vets squad are organising a fund-raising bike ride in memory of our old mate Gerry Cooper, pictured left, to raise funds for Christie's Hospital in Manchester, where Gerry received treatment in his battle against cancer.
The Route: along the Leeds Liverpool Canal from Scarisbrick  (near Southport) to Douglas Valley.
Stops: Stopping off at a number of canalside hostelries at Burscough, Parbold, Appley Bridge, Crooke, Wigan Pier, St. Pats Rugby club, Top Lock & finish off at the club with a BBQ! 
Distance – about 30km (but at least most of its flat!)
Date – Saturday the 7th of June - Noon start at what was the Red Lion (Scarisbrick) now an Indian called the ‘Blue Elephant!’ Cost - £10 donation/sponsorship per rider -  if over and above this you want to raise individual sponsorship you are free to do so and Malc will get forms printed, but riders must submit this money direct to Christies – all we want off each rider is a ‘tenner for Christies,’ but the emphasis is on this being  an annual FUN event .
The ride is open to everyone, NOT just membersof Wigan RUFC- the more the merrier – everyone taking part is expected to bring a mate- this is one enjoyable way of raising money for a cancer charity.
We intend to organise this every year for a different charity, and we will alternate the canalside starting point each year encompassing Blackburn and Manchester in future events.  All ideas greatly appreciated – we will obviously need transport to Scarisbrick and we will need a van on standby following close to the route in the event of emergency/punctures/ etc –certainly not dehydration!
Anybody sponsor/provide a van for the day?? I will publish map/suggested pubs/more details shortly but if you have any ideas please let Malc Holland know - click here.
It's all for a good cause, it will be a great day and it will help you stay fit!!   Rashers has already been spotted practicing on his ‘penny-farthing.....’
So dust your bike down, get the stabilisers off and get the life jackets ready! See you on June 7th.

Georgina with son Hal and mum Jean at 208 HQ on Merseyside on Monday evening October 22nd. Picture by Corporal Adrian Harlen, British Army

IT WAS an emotional welcome home as Standish army medic and Wigan RUFC Womens Section member Captain Georgina Myles returned from a three-month tour of duty with the British Army in Afghanistan.
Georgina was one of 80 soldiers from 208 Field Hospital (Volunteers) who returned home on Monday October 22nd.
The Territorial Army unit's men and women have run the field hospital medical facility in Helmand Province since the middle of July. It was the first time since the Second World War that 208 has deployed on operations as a formed unit.
They have treated many British troops, as well as soldiers from other ISAF contributing coalition countries and also Afghan nationals.
There can be no doubt that the medical skill and expertise displayed by this unit has saved many lives while out in Afghanistan.
It has been a tough and challenging tour of duty for the TA medics, most of whom would normally be found in NHS hospitals and surgeries in the North West. As TA soldiers, they serve the British Army in their spare time, carrying out military training at evenings and weekends at TA centres across the region.
208 Field Hospital has its HQ in Liverpool and additional training locations in Blackpool, Lancaster and Ellesmere Port.
Georgina returned to the TA barracks in Liverpool to be greeted with a big hug from her son Hal, 13, and her mum, Jean.
In civilian life, Georgina works as a sister on the intensive care wards of North Manchester General Hospital.
She said: "The best way I can describe the tour is to say I was humbled by what the lads are doing out there. They work really hard in such extreme conditions but just accept it and get on with it. I have come home with a definite sense of achievement. I am really glad that I went out there. The lads are doing a great job out there and deserve the best medical facilities. I am now going to have a good rest!"
....Oh no you're not: training at 11am Sunday October 28th, and don't you forget it....Gill

From Ian Boardman:
"Thanks to all who sponsored myself and the team from Wigan RUFC Vets.
Together with entry forms, sponsorship and a fund raising event at the club we have raised a fantastic total of £1100 for cancer research.
Thanks once again.
Boardy.