AN EVENING of fund-raising was held to celebrate the life of Caneze Riaz who was killed in a fire at her family home in Accrington last year.
Caneze, who was 39, died at the house in Tremellen Street, along with her four daughters, Sayrah, 16, Sophia, 15, Alicia, 10, and Hannah, three.
Her husband Mohammed Riaz, 49, who deliberately started the fire, was pulled from the house but died three days later.
The Ajj Ki Shaam Caneze Kay Naam (An Evening Dedicated to Caneze) was held at the Jans Conference Centre in Blackburn, with 180 people going along to show their support.
Profits from the event, which included a raffle, auction and entertainment, will go towards Christie's Hospital in Manchester, where Caneze's son Adam was treated before he died just five weeks after the fire.
Parvinder Sohal, a youth worker at Lancashire County Council, said the event was organised by Caneze's friends who wanted to celebrate her life.
She said: "It was a fantastic night. We just wanted to do something to remember her by. It actually wasn't an emotional night, we tried to make it fun because that's the kind of person Caneze was.
"The night was organised by a group of seven people who knew Caneze from both her paid and voluntary work."
Caneze was a well-known community worker at the New Era complex in Accrington and also worked for the Hyndburn Cultural Association based at the Scaitcliffe Community Centre.
A total of £5,000 was raised on the night but the money is still pouring in.
Caneze's mum, June Khanan, went along to the event to collect a City and Guilds NVQ Level 3 certificate in information, advice and guidance, which her daughter was due to receive from the Voluntary Organisation in Health and Social Care (VOISE).
