Steve Sullivan celebrates 30 years of supporting Velindre Cancer Charity!

Steve speaks not only about how happy Andrew was to see his friends, but also remembers the positive reactions from the nurses who were looking after him: “They weren’t just nurses, they were living the journey with their patients. I knew we wanted to raise money in Andrew’s name, but Velindre was the obvious choice after that experience.”

Andrew was someone who was always thinking of other people and wanted something positive to come out of his situation. During his cancer journey, he agreed with his friends that they would try and raise money for charity in his name.

Steve, along with friends Paul Grahame and Mike Prew, decided to run an annual music event in Andrew’s memory, calling it Megaday after Andrew’s nickname. Soon, Megaday grew from a small indoor tribute gig to a big outdoor charity event, which now attracts an audience of 2,000 people and features 10 to 12 bands every year. Megaday has even caught the attention of bands like Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Goldie Lookin’ Chain and each band has supported the event in different ways.

In 2001, Paul Grahame, one of Megaday’s organisers, also tragically lost his battle with cancer after being treated at Velindre, which reinforced Steve’s mission to continue fundraising in memory of his friends.

Steve’s retirement from Megaday wasn’t the end of his fundraising. Many of Velindre’s supporters will know Steve as the driving force behind our iconic Castle 2 Castle run. Founded by Steve in 2014, the fun run, which has now grown into one of our flagship events, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. This year, we’ve seen the highest number of registrants ever, with over 1500 people signing up to take part—a true testament to the countless hours and energy, Steve dedicates each year to helping deliver the run.

Talking about what’s kept him motivated to fundraise over the last 30 years, Steve said:

“It’s such a rewarding thing just knowing that you’re helping other people. You know that you’re potentially saving someone’s life. You’re giving someone a chance. You’re helping somebody who is in the worst times of their lives, and you’ve made it a little bit more comfortable for them. I really like knowing that I’m part of that.”

Fundraising has also had a huge impact on Steve’s life and he said:

“I’ve made so many friends and had so many experiences through fundraising. It’s made me develop and grow as a person.”

Steve’s whole family are behind his fundraising mission and he’s relied on the dedicated support of his wife, Sam, and his father, Trevor, who was also heavily involved in the events.

Three decades of commitment is no small feat and Steve’s support is a shining example of the generosity and heart that powers Velindre. Fundraising is now a way of life for Steve and his incredible efforts over the last 30 years have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Velindre—a life-changing amount of money that continues to make a lasting and tangible impact on Velindre’s patients, carers, families and our entire community.