BISON players and fans delivered a fundraising boost to Ark Cancer Centre Charity at Zizzi Restaurant last week.

Long-time Bison sponsors Zizzi opened their doors to Bison fans for the latest of their popular nights which saw some of the Herd acting as waiters for the evening.

Bison head coach Doug Sheppard and several members of the team were on hand to serve, and chat to, loyal fans of the Herd who came along to the Top of The Town restaurant.

A raffle and two silent auctions for signed Bison shirts helped to boost the coffers, resulting in the great sum of £462.50 being raised on the night.

And the good news is the donation will be doubled as Zizzi will be putting it through Greenham Common Trust’s The Good Exchange which is providing match-funding support for the charity.

Mark Jones, director of fundraising and communications for the charity, was at the charity night and thanked everyone for their support.

Jones said: “Every pound counts towards the charity’s £5million target, and Ark Cancer Centre Charity is grateful for this show of support from Doug (Sheppard), the players, the team at Zizzi, and everyone who came along to this special night.

“Ark Cancer Centre Charity is proud to be a community partner of the Bison, and we hope that many more Ark supporters will come along and support the team over the coming weeks and months as the Bison continue their quest for silverware this season.”

The success of the charity’s £5m appeal will ensure a range of support services and complementary therapies are available alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments in a calm and uplifting environment.

The new centre, which is largely being funded by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), is earmarked for a location in the Basingstoke and Deane area, and if the preferred site near to Junction 7 of the M3 is approved, it will be easily accessible to everyone in the HHFT region.