Events raise over £50,000 for a hero
14 October 2011
On Saturday 1st October, police officers and members of the public got together with paratroopers, celebrities, music legends and sports stars at a memorial concert to honour our fallen heroes.
Private Daniel Prior of 2nd Battalion, Paratroopers paid the ultimate sacrifice whilst serving his country in Afghanistan. This special event was to honour not only Daniel but others who have given their life in service of the country but also to raise money for Daniel’s baby son, Logan who will grow up without his daddy.
"Logan will grow knowing his dad was a hero"
Daniel was killed by an IED aged 27 in March whilst serving in the Helmand Province. Just a month earlier he had flown home to be beside his wife Emily, 20, as she gave birth to their son Logan.
Alongside his devastated parents Ian and Gill, Emily toasted her hero husband’s memory along with hundreds of other friends at the Metropolitan Police Sports Club in Hayes, South London.
Celebrity guests included Madness drummer Woody who entertained the crowds by jumping on stage to play along with tribute band the Skatonics. Arthur Kaye from The Originals also made a guest appearance and performed a moving song to Emily and Daniel’s family.
Retired boxers Julius Francis - a former British Heavyweight champion - and Colin McMillan - who took the World Featherweight boxing crown in 1992 - were also among the guests and both donated a pair of signed shorts to be auctioned off.
Brave Emily said: "The event was a really fun, cheerful celebration of Dan’s life - and exactly the kind of way he would have wanted to be remembered.
"It has been so difficult for everyone who loved Dan and it is really wonderful to see how loved he was and what wonderful friends and family he left behind.
"Logan is the absolute double of Dan so we know he will never be forgotten. I tell Logan about him every day.
"We had planned a baby but I do remember Dan saying that it was especially important to him because if he did die he wanted to leave a part of him in the world - that is exactly what Logan is.
"It is a small mercy but it does mean a lot to me that Dan and Logan did at least get to meet one another before Dan‘s death.
"It was amazing to see how quickly he took to being a dad. I miss him every day."
In a tragic twist Dan’s uncle Steve had also died at the same age serving in the same battalion 2 Para in the Falklands War.
Electrician Ian, Dan’s father and Steve’s brother, said: "Dan never met Steve as he was born a year after he died but he did like to hear stories about him.
"When he was young he used to say for his job he just wanted to jump out of planes.
"He was a very brave, selfless young man.
"The loss is indescribable but we have Logan to keep us focused - he will grow up knowing his dad was a hero."
The fundraiser was organised by Detective Superintendent Darren Williams, of Bexley Police - whose borough commander Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer is Emily's father.
Darren, 44, said: "I'm an ex-soldier and a number of my friends have paid the ultimate sacrifice, including a very dear friend who was killed in Northern Ireland.
"So when Dave phoned me to tell me Dan had died I just really wanted to do something."
His first fundraiser was a sponsored keep-fit challenge in July, which saw members of Daniel's former regiment take on a team of police officers and staff, raising about £30,000.
And after last Saturday's gala concert and auction, the total has now topped £50,000 and will all go towards providing for baby Logan’s future.
He said: "It was a great evening and I could not have done it without my team of 12 fantastic helpers and the many individuals and companies that also supported the event.
"We started the evening with a minute's silence in Dan and Steve's memory and after that we partied the night away and raised a fantastic amount of money like they would have wanted."
- Emily Prior Emily with Woody from Madness at the charity event
- The auction Actor Graham Cole was the auctioneer for the charity event