THE family of an amateur golfer from Torfaen who died five years ago are preparing to hold the sixth fundraising event in his memory.
Daniel Jones killed himself on September 7, 2014, aged 42.
His brother Darren described him as “much loved son, husband, father, brother and friend.”
“It came out of the blue,” said Mr Jones. “It devastated us as a family."
Mr Jones was a keen golfer, and in the month following his death, Darren Jones and three of his brother's best friends - Jonathan McCarthey, Dave Edmunds and Peter Gabriel - decided to organise a fundraising golf day in his memory.
“Dan was a huge golfer," Mr Jones said. "He was excellent at it. I caddied for him in a few competitions and I think he could have made it.
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“He played in the Trilby Tour - an amateur tournament shown on Sky Sports.
“He also won the Victory Shield as part of the Pontypool Golf Club team. That was probably his biggest achievement.”
The event has been held ever year for the past five years, and has become a popular fixture in the annual calender.
This year’s event takes place at Woodlake Park Golf Club on Friday, September 6. There will be 96 golfers teeing off, and the day will be rounded off with dinner and a presentation evening.
During the evening, entertainment will be provided by former X-Factor contestant Helen Fulthorpe and there will be a raffle raising money for the Daniel Jones Memorial Fund, which works with Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent Mind to provide support and counselling services for those who have been affected by suicide.
(Daniel Jones was a keen amateur golfer. Picture: The Jones family)
“Since that first year, it has been getting bigger and bigger,” said Mr Jones. “This is the sixth event and the first we have done outside Pontypool Golf Club.
“A lot of the golfers will be Dan’s friends and family, but some are from across the whole of Wales who had just heard about his story and wanted to help out.
(Daniel Jones with his son Tomas. Picture: The Jones family.)
“We even got in touch with Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy, who have donated items to be raffled to raise money for the Therapy and Wellbeing centre in Blaenavon.
“Dan’s left such a hole in all our lives, but since creating this event and after ploughing so much energy and effort in to it, it’s really helped me.
“It’s nice that something so tragic can help do so much good.”
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