Everton and Liverpool fans unite for “Walk for Leon” cancer fundraiser

Merseyside is rallying around Leon Skapars, a dad and Everton fan battling aggressive terminal cancer, as nine lifelong friends prepare for a gruelling 20-mile charity trek.

Leon Skapars is a father-of-three, passionate Everton FC fan, and self-employed plasterer from Southport who is courageously battling a rare and highly aggressive form of kidney cancer.

On Sunday, August 2, 2026, the group will walk from Southport Football Club to Everton FC’s brand-new home, Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. Their goal is to raise vital funds to help Leon access innovative, potentially life-extending treatments not currently available to him on the NHS.

A GoFundMe page has been launched with an initial target of £5,000, alongside a dedicated Facebook page, Walk for Leon, to track their progress and rally support.

Leon, 35, is a proud partner to his fiancée, Crystal Duffey, and a doting dad to three young boys aged 10, 4, and 2. Known across the community as an incredibly hard-working and genuine man, Leon has spent the last 18 years grafting as a self-employed plasterer to provide for his family.

He was recently diagnosed with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid features and necrosis. He has been given a heartbreaking prognosis of just one to three years to live.

Lewis Mungo, a close friend and joiner who has worked alongside Leon, said:

“On site, Leon’s always been the first one in and the last one out the door, thinking ahead and making sure everyone is looked after. That’s just who he is.”

After three months of immunotherapy, scans revealed the cancer had continued to spread, and NHS doctors have advised that the current available treatments can now only serve to slow the disease’s progression.

Leon has recently started a new treatment line and is due for a critical scan in roughly eight weeks, coinciding closely with the charity walk. This scan will determine whether the medication is working. If it proves ineffective, it will mark a major turning point in his care, as he searches for alternative, self-funded treatments, an urgent race against time.

Every penny raised by the walk will go directly toward funding these external medical options and easing the immense financial strain on Leon’s young family.

Joe Fillis, one of the walkers, said:

“Everyone wants to do their bit. People are giving up their time; businesses are getting involved and friends and family are rallying round. It shows just how much Leon means to so many people.”

His friends are equally determined to stand by his side every step of the way.

Paul Mills said:

“Leon is one of the best people you’ll ever meet. He’s the sort of person who would drop everything to help someone else, without ever expecting anything in return. 

“Now it’s our turn to be there for him. We want Leon, his fiancée and his three boys to know they’re not facing this battle alone.”

Crystal Duffey said: 

“Leon is a devoted dad to three young sons aged 2, 4 and 10, who are his whole world.

“He has spent the last 18 years grafting hard as a self-employed plasterer, and anyone who knows Leon will tell you what a genuinely kind and decent man he is. He is the first person to offer a helping hand to anyone that needs it.

“Leon is now fighting for his life after being diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of kidney cancer and has been given just 1–3 years to live.

“I’m facing the reality of losing the man I planned my life with. We’ve gone from building our future, to fighting for every extra moment together. It has been heartbreaking to watch Leon go through so much already since his diagnosis. Please help me keep our family together.

“If you can, please donate whatever you are able; every single pound could help give Leon more time, more memories, and more precious moments with his children. There is truly no amount too small.”

The walk will culminate at the Hill Dickinson Stadium—a deeply fitting finish line for a lifelong Evertonian whose community is determined to prove that he will never walk alone.

The walkers are:

1. Mark Cooper
2. Joe Fillis
3. Sam Hodson
4. Lewis Mungo
5. Paul Mills
6. Ric Mills
7. Sean Lynch
8. Stu Rimmer
9. Sean Burns

Find out more information on the Walk for Leon here.

Read more of the latest Liverpool news stories here.

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