Welsh man who sold tickets to his own funeral for cancer fundraiser dies

A man from Cardiff in the U.K. who sold tickets to his own funeral to raise money for his charity, The Red Sock Campaign, has died at the age of 72.

Cass was hoping to raise £500,000 (approximately $870,335 CAD) but died Thursday, after the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with in 2006 spread to his bones.

His fundraising campaign involved selling 500 tickets, at various prices, for a funeral that could include a meal of lobster and champagne, according to the BBC.

In a statement on The Red Sock Campaign’s Facebook page, Cass’s family said that “his valiant fight against prostate cancer has sadly come to an end.”

“His tireless efforts to raise awareness and support others through the Red Sock Campaign will forever be remembered, and the important work on this will continue as part of his legacy.”

Cass set up the Red Sock Campaign in 2007 and was awarded an MBE by Prince Charles for his charity work.

The family said on Facebook that details about funeral arrangement are forthcoming.