Elgin brother and sister step up to raise over £2000 for children's charity
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AN ACTIVE Elgin brother and sister are going the extra mile to boost a Scottish children's charity.
Kate (13) and Finlay (11) McLuckie have raised more than £2000 over the last three weeks by taking part in The 2.6 Challenge for Children 1st – going miles beyond their original £500 target.
The youngsters, both members of Elgin Amateur Athletic Club as well as Moravian Orienteering Club, are completing the challenge on foot, running or walking 26 miles a week during daily exercise under lockdown.
Kate, an S1 pupil at Elgin Academy, and Finlay, in P7 at West End Primary, are now in the finishing straight as they enter the final week of their fundraising effort, which was created to run this month after COVID-19 halted this year's London Marathon planned for April 26.
Last week the sporting duo received a special thank-you video message from top GB athlete Laura Muir, from Inverness, who also participated in The 2.6 Challenge.
Mum Morag and dad Peter have been setting out with the children from their home on Fleurs Drive for the walks, averaging around four miles each day.
Morag, a physics teacher at Elgin Academy, said the family have been discovering wonderful beauty spots and wildlife along the way.
She said: "We're lucky because both Oak Wood and Main Wood are about a mile from our doorstep which are great places to walk, so we've been doing circuits there. We came across Cloddach ponds, a quarry which has some amazing wildlife, which we never even knew about and is not far from our house at all."
She added: "Kate and Finlay never expected to raise as much as they have so far."
The 2.6 Challenge invites participants to complete an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 which suits their skills, from running to cycling, holding the plank for 2.6 minutes, or gardening for 26 minutes.
Formerly the Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Children 1st works to prevent abuse and neglect and protect the rights of children in Scotland.
Kate and Finlay's total so far is sitting at £2,150 including gift aid. To donate or track their progress, visit the Just Giving page McLuckie's Marathon Challenge.
