The daughter of a selfless Alexandria fundraiser hopes that a charity night held in his memory will be the perfect tribute.
Lisa Gibson’s dad Kenny Bissland was a well-known face throughout the area, and helped raise thousands for good causes through charity football tournaments, fundraisers and events.
Gas fitter Kenny tragically passed away last September at the age of 56 after bravely battling renal cancer that spread to his bones.
However, daughter Lisa is now determined to follow in her dad’s footsteps by raising thousands for charities close to the hearts of the family at Kenny’s Unbelievable Kickass Charity Bash on February 4 at Dumbarton’s stadium.
As well as a DJ, there will be a raffle, charity auction and games – all to raise money for good causes.
And Lisa explained more about the plans – including how the event got its name.
She told the Lennox: “My dad was a total people pleaser.
“People being happy made him happy. He would do anything for anyone.
“I know people say nice things when someone passes away, and obviously he’s my dad, but he genuinely was an amazing person.
“My dad would love an event like this. He’d just be gutted that he wasn’t actually there.
“What I’ve got planned is a typical night out that he would love. All the people he cared about in the one place.
“With it being a charity thing he would be proud too.
“I needed a name for it, and my dad always described things as unbelievable. It was something people knew him to say all the time.
“That’s why we settled on Kenny’s Unbelievable Kickass Charity Bash. It’s a mouthful, but we thought it was quite funny.”
The choice of which charities to support was an easy one for Lisa, with causes having touched the hearts of the family.
She explained: “My dad and I had already done dry July where we didn’t drink for the month, and that was to raise funds for the Beatson where he was getting treatment at the time. We managed to raise over £3,000.
“My dad’s go-to charity was always Robin House, because we had family friends who used Robin House for their two children who have since sadly passed away.
“We know the work they do so it was always going to be one of the charities. The other is Macmillan Cancer Support.
“They gave me and my mum counselling whilst my dad was going through everything, and it was incredibly helpful at that time.”
Lisa continued by saying that her family, including mum Nancy and brother Stuart, were humbled by the turnout at Kenny’s funeral in October, which showed how many lives he had made an impact on.
She said: “My dad had a lot of customers who became friends. He knew everyone.
“He played bowls at Argyll BC, he played football when he was younger for the Vale, he was in the Tartan Army and he was a regular at a pub in Balloch.
“He knew so many groups of people and it felt like everyone knew him.
“When we turned into the crematorium it was jam-packed. I was blown away. It was really overwhelming.
“He got a guard of honour from members of his bowling club which was amazing. It was like something out of a movie.
“Although it was a sad day, it was lovely to see so many people. It was really comforting.
“I’m so proud to be his daughter. It’s the best feeling knowing everyone thought my dad was a great guy.”
And Kenny’s popularity led to the event growing in size.
“Initially it was supposed to be just a small event at the Vale of Leven Masonic. But the interest was crazy,” Lisa explained.
And she was determined to ensure that her dad’s legacy was a positive one, after being left struggling to come to terms with his passing.
She continued: “When I first thought of the charity night it was because I needed to focus on something positive. I still felt so angry at the fact my dad had died, and thought I needed to change the feeling and turn it into a positive.
“I wanted to focus on something good that could benefit others.”
And she hopes that, if successful, the bash can become an annual event.
She concluded: “I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know how successful it’s going to be.
“If it was a success then I’d love to make it an annual thing to keep my dad’s memory alive.
“My dad passed away in September and from then until now we’ve had all the first big things: birthdays, Christmas and New Year.
“I’m hoping February can be a happier month.”
“Someone has to carry on his legacy, and that person is me.”
