Elgin girl (6) climbs Ben Rinnes to raise cash for Weir Black Belt Academy
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AN Elgin youngster has gone above and beyond to raise funds and surprise her favourite sports club.
Evelyn Mitchell (6), from Elgin, was challenged, along with other members at Weir Black Belt Academy, to take part in a sponsored walk and raise £30 for the club – which has seen its finances take a hit during lockdown.
But Evelyn decided a simple walk wasn’t enough – instead deciding to run up Ben Rinnes and raise £711 for the club she has attended since she was just two years old.
Below, you can watch a video documenting the day – from the struggle of getting Evelyn out of bed to the youngster's fleet-footed journey to the summit.
Weir BBA are using the cash to buy new equipment, with a new metal frame to feature a plaque with Evelyn’s name on it.
Mother Gemma Mitchell said she is “proud” of her daughter’s fundraising.
“The club, like most, has been struggling a bit during lockdown,” she said. “Sadly, many members began to leave and stop payments, leaving the club struggling.
“Evelyn was scared they were going to have to close down and decided something had to be done. At just six years old she understands how people have been affected by the current situation.
“Weir BBA mentioned a sponsored walk to raise money but my daughter doesn’t do things by halves so a stroll around Cooper Park wasn’t going to be enough.
“We travelled to Ben Rinnes with the idea of raising £100 but that soon changed to £200, £400 and, in the end, she raised £711.
“I am so proud of her and she is just really chuffed with herself. She never thought she would get this many sponsors, especially when people are short on money.”
Weir BBA, who handed a medal to all members who raised £30, had little idea how much Evelyn had raised until they were presented with a cheque during a coaching session last Friday.
Gemma added: “They were quite shocked. Evelyn let slip that she had raised loads but I didn’t give away how much it was, so I don’t think they realised it was more than £700. They are purchasing new equipment with the money, which they are collecting this Sunday. They are going to get a plaque attached to a metal bar saying it was donated by Evelyn. That made me quite emotional and I’ve not seen her smile like that in a long time.”
Gemma was full of praise for Weir BBA, which her daughter attends four times a week, for the work they have done during lockdown.
She said: “They are the only club I know that used Zoom at the start of lockdown.
“When they did the first grading through Zoom, a lot of the kids were struggling so they made calls and visited to make sure kids were okay.
“After grading they drove to everyone to get photos and give them their certificate and belts. Some people live as far as Turriff so they really went out their way.
“They even organised for an ice cream van and paid for that to say well done to all the kids for getting through lockdown.”
As for Evelyn, her next plan is to climb Ben Nevis or complete all of the munros in one day. Her mother remains unconvinced.
