Teen inspires cancer drive

At 13 years of age, James Knowlson isn’t the person you would expect to be running a fundraising campaign for cancer across two local soccer associations.

But the young Royals player has been organising pink socks round in the Albany Junior Soccer Association and the Great Southern Soccer Association since 2014.

The idea for the initiative stemmed from James after his grandfather died of cancer in 2014.

James, who had a close relationship with his grandfather, said he was inspired by the Sydney Pink Test.

“I wanted to do something to start fundraising that would make him happy as well as me,” he said.

“We used to watch the cricket at home and then we saw everyone in pink in the crowd on TV.

“He used to like cricket so I felt like the McGrath Foundation was a good place to start fundraising.”

Pink socks round has raised between $7000 and $8000 in previous seasons through the sale of pink socks, which players will don for their respective matches across the weekend.

There will also be a pink raffle.

James is hoping he can raise a similar figure in 2017, with socks available for purchase on Saturday morning in the clubrooms.

James’ mother Grace Knowlson said she was amazed by her son’s motivation.

“It blew me away really,” she said.

“I didn’t expect it to come from someone so young to have an understanding of what it means.”