Five members of one of our favourite Scottish families completed the Aberdeen Kiltwalk on Sunday – taking their fundraising total for the ME Association over the years to well over £20,000.
Head of the family, Jim Moran, said they keep on putting in the work to honour his wife, Maureen, who has had M.E. for 30 years, but they had always had great fun doing so.
Jim, an oil industry engineer from Peterhead, said it had all been down to one young person who started the ball rolling way back in 2006.
“Natalie, our caring granddaughter, was only 10 when she took upon herself to raise money for her ‘nunny' for ME. She lived in a farmhouse at the time and invited family to a cake and biscuit sale.
“She then moved to Elgin and asked the school there to do a dress-down day and sell cakes; she also did a six-mile walk from Elgin to Lossiemouth with her friend Rachel.
“When we presented the first cheque, 30 family members and friends crammed into the house and Dr Charles Shepherd from the ME Association came along to receive it. We’d even managed to borrow a proper red carpet from a local shop to line the driveway, with the evening being orchestrated by Natalie herself.”.
This time, Natalie – who is now 22 – brought along her son Jax from Dunfermline, while two other grandchildren – Miller and Daisy – arrived from Stuartfield. The little ones completed the five-mile ’Wee Wander’ from Camphill into Duthie Park. Jim and grandson Miller who – at the ripe old age of 11 qualified for the longer 15-mile ‘Big Stroll’ – strode out from Crathes Castle.
“The walk went well”, said Jim. “Natalie, Daisy and Jax did the five-mile Wee Wander in 2 hours 15 mins. Miller and I did the Big Stroll in six hours. with plenty of pitstops on the way.”
“On route, there were “Kilties” who cheered us on and made sure everyone was doing ok health wise. The weather was damp on the first mile or so but it cleared up to become a very nice day indeed.”
He added: “M.E. has badly Maureen for the past 30 years and, with no cure yet in sight, continues to lay low many thousands of adults and children round Scotland every year”.
Other fundraising events held by the Moran family for the ME Association over the years have been raffles on oil rigs while Jim was still working offshore, Jax doing the Great Scottish Toddle stopping only to scatter the pigeons by the loch, and a two-day cycle ride.
“The
Moran family never cease to amaze me”, said Helen Hyland, the charity's
fundraising manager. ” Each and everyone of them – including their dogs
– throw themselves
into their fundraising.
“I can only imagine the pain and devastation that this illness has brought to Maureen's life and yet, despite everything, her pride in all her family and her utter determination to make the best of everything comes shining through every time we contact each
other. Maureen and the thousands like her are the reason that we work to raise awareness and funds.
“And the Kiltwalk is absolutely amazing. For every pound raised, The Hunter Foundation adds another 40p. That's a big deal for a little charity like us.”