Daniel aims for 10K charity windfall
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A MORAY family are aiming to break a £10,000 target following a charity football match.
Elgin couple Caroline and Darren Strong organised a game between Buckie Thistle and Inverness Caledonian Thistle to say thank you to four charities that helped them after their five-year-old son Daniel developed a brain tumour.
Daniel, who is making a good recovery, was the mascot for his dad Darren’s Buckie side for the game.
The match generated in excess of £6,000 on the night, and with more donations and fund-raising still in the pipeline, Darren revealed the ambition is to hit £10,000.
The four charities to benefit will be CLIC Sargent, which provided the family with accommodation during a prolonged stay at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children; CCLASP, which stands for Children with Cancer and Leukaemia Advice and Support for Parents; ARCHIE Foundation, the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Sick Kids Foundation.
A surprise donation on the night was a cheque for £1,000 from Logan’s Fund.
That was a fund set up by Moray couple Angela and Christopher Main to support their son Logan during treatment for neuroblastoma. Since Logan’s death in 2009 at the age of three the couple have dedicated the fund to helping other families in a similar situation.
"Logan’s dad and a few others took part in a fancy dress penalty kick competition at half-time to raise awareness, as this is Neuroblastoma Week," said Darren.
"They then presented us with a cheque for £1,000 which was a great gesture and very emotional. We were blown away by their generosity which was completely out of the blue."
A crowd of around 400 turned out for the game which ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
A Caley Thistle fan cycled all the way from Inverness to Buckie ahead of the game, taking 3hrs 30 minutes to complete the challenge, and has raised in excess of £500.
Caley Thistle also donated a signed ball and shirt for a raffle on the night.
And former Buckie Thistle boss Duncan Shearer, now a youth coach at Caley, donated a signed copy of his book.
"It was a cracking night," said Darren, "and the wee man just loved it."
Another mascot on the night was five-year-old Leah Geddes, whose older sister Zoe (13), a pupil at Buckie High School, died earlier this year from leukaemia. Her parents Andrew and Christine were at the game.
• A Logan’s Fun Day will take place on Sunday, August 7, at the playing fields in Lossiemouth from 11am, when all proceeds will go towards www.make-a-wish.org.uk, which grants magical wishes to young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.
