Photo opportunity 4pm, Friday 8 August, Tesco Riverside, Dundee.
Sir Philip Cohen, spearheading fundraising at the University of Dundee for a new research centre focussing on diabetes, today thanked all the citizens of Dundee for contributing so generously at Tesco, Riverside and Monifieth during the first few days of the campaign.
In the first weekend of the month long campaign, £2113.22 was collected.
Philip said: "Dundee's international reputation for excellence in science is in no small part due to the support of the people of Dundee and Tayside. For years they have raised money and lent their good will to the essential research that takes place in this City. I am now asking them to lend their generous support again to our ambitious new Diabetes Centre which promises to break ground in diabetes research a disease that affects 120,000 people in Scotland."
Tesco have kindly agreed to allow collections in selected stores in Tayside during the month of August and, as a bonus, will donate 20% of the total amount from their own profits to the fundraising effort.
To stimulate this week's fundraising efforts, Sir Philip and his wife Professor Lady Tricia Cohen will personally match the amount that Sir Philip collects in Tesco this weekend when he will be shaking his can in the Dundee Riverside store on this afternoon, Saturday and Sunday.
Sir Philip would also like to invite Dundee's wealthier citizens and local businesses to join him in matching this weekend's donations.
The new Diabetes Research Centre will occupy a whole floor of the new multi million pound initiative in the City Centre Campus.
4% of Scottish people (120,000) now have diabetes. This figure is expected to double over the next ten years. Diabetes is the most common cause of blindness in the developing world, a major cause of heart attack and impotence and reduces average life expectancy by more than 10 years.
Citizens and businesses wishing to match Sir Philip and Lady Cohen's personal donation should email them at p.cohen@dundee.ac.uk or telephone Angela Nicoll on 1382 348377 or Joan Concannon on 01382 345565
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk