Richard with wife Mary.

More people are needed to take part in a boat race next month to help raise £10,000 in memory of a journalist who died from leukaemia.

The Forget-Me-Not event on Saturday 9 June will remember Richard Woolley who died in October 2009, aged 26.

Richard was working as a sub-editor at the Ripley and Heanor News when he was diagnosed. He had started as a reporter on the weekly Derbyshire title and had also worked as a reporter at sister title the Matlock Mercury.

His dad Mike has appealed for more teams to take part in the race at Rother Valley Country Park in Sheffield which will see proceeds going to Anthony Nolan and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research charities.

It is also hoped that people will consider signing up as blood donors on the day.

Said Mike: “Without the good will of blood donors he would have had no hope at all.”

The day will consist of a series of Chinese dragon boat races over a 200m course, made up of 14 teams/crews.

Each team will have a minimum of three races, but the fastest averaging teams will go through to the semi-finals, with the best two of these battling it out in the final.

The top four teams will win a medal for each person and there will be a trophy for the winning team.

More than £3,000 has already been raised from sales of a book that Richard wrote called Leukeamia – My Marathon for Love, and from performances of plays he had written.

For more information log onto http://www.richardwoolleyforgetmenot.co.uk/.