Defender thanks Town’s charity partner
Huddersfield Town defender Tommy Smith visited the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Nostell Air Support United on Wednesday to thank the charity’s team for the important help they gave him this season.
The 23 year-old was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary by the life-saving charity in the aftermath of Town’s Yorkshire derby against Leeds United at the John Smith’s Stadium on 31 January 2015.
Tommy was in and out of consciousness after a goalmouth collision and, with the roads busy as the crowds departed, the YAA helicopter was requested to take Tommy to hospital – where he was given the all-clear by doctors late in the evening.
As a result, Tommy – accompanied by his father Gary – visited the Nostell base earlier this week to thank the YAA crew and present them with a signed shirt to help raise much-needed funds.
Tommy is pictured above with Garry Brasher, the pilot that airlifted Tommy back in January.
Tommy told htafc.com:
“It was great to be able to visit the Yorkshire Air Ambulance base this week; the tour gave me and my Dad a great insight into all the hard work that goes into making the service possible.
“It’s amazing to think that the charity has to raise its own funds and I’m really proud of the Club and its fans for putting so much effort into the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign, which I’m told has paid for every flight into Kirklees since 2009.
“The events the Club holds go a long way towards this and earlier this year my Dad and other members of my family were among the people that completed ‘Walk for Pounds’ to raise money for the charity, along with the Club’s Academy.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has completed one of the ‘Keep It Up’ events, as well as all the Yorkshire Air Ambulance staff that were so great with me and my family back in January.”
The ‘Keep It Up’ campaign has raised over £1 million to be split between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Huddersfield Town Academy since its inception; click HERE for more information.
That amount is expected to increase significantly thanks to the recently completed ‘Pedal for Pounds 6’ bike ride to and from Blackpool; click HERE for more info!
