24-hour 'poolathon' in memory of Shropshire man pockets £2,000
The close friend of a young Shropshire man who died suddenly has raised £2,000 by taking part in a 24-hour "poolathon" in his memory.
Chris Smout played 24 hours of consecutive pool against 24 different people on Friday into Saturday at the Keys in St Martins, in memory of 25-year-old Guy Evans.
Mr Smout said he believed the "poolathon" was a fitting tribute to his friend, who was known by many as "Sharky" because friends said he was a "pool shark."
Despite playing 24 hours of the game and raising the huge sum, Mr Smout refused to take all the credit.
He said: "I really couldn't have managed it without the support of the community.
"It was a real community effort because, throughout, I had a minimum of 10 people with me, cheering me on and keeping me going. I really couldn't have done it without everyone's support. That's the type of community St Martins is.
"I know Guy would've loved it and I think the support I'd received for what I was doing is down to how loved Guy was by everyone."
Mr Smout said the fundraiser was also well supported by people from far and wide, with people travelling from Mid Wales to compete against him.
Wayne "Rhino" Smith – the No 1 trickshot player in the UK – also gave up an hour of his time to play.
Mr Smout said: "To have Wayne there was fantastic, but I'd also I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who turned out to support the event.
"That's thanks to the people who made sandwiches, the chip shop who brought chips for everyone, just everyone who played a part in some way."
Guy, 25, died last week after enjoying some drinks with his friends.
His funeral will take place on Tuesday at 2pm at St Martins Parish Church.
The family welcomes any flowers or donations to Alder Hey Children's Hospital and the Air Ambulance.
