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Greig is still pedalling along
By
Colin Grant
SOLO cyclist Greig Anderson is now more than halfway through his gruelling personal challenge to raise £10,000 for our campaign.
 And he’s almost halfway towards his magnificent fund-raising target.
Greig (40), from Giffnock, set off from Land’s End last Saturday. He hopes to arrive in John O’Groats this coming Saturday.
Today, if he maintains his punishing schedule, he should be pedalling the 70 miles from Dumfries to his home on the outskirts of Glasgow, where he’ll spend the night. That leaves him just 305 miles short of the 890-mile
cycle-athon.
His website www.fatblokeonabike.co.uk
has a justgiving account, which can receive sponsorship pledges. So far, he’s raised nearly £2500.
Greig has also set up an email auction with some fabulous packages on offer.
They include dinner, bed and breakfast for four at the luxurious One Devonshire Gardens hotel in Glasgow, plus a four-ball at The Carrick Loch
Lomond. The current top bid for that is £600.
Then there’s a private four-course dinner for 15 people at the fashionable Moyra Jane’s restaurant in Glasgow, followed by a speech from Chris Moon, the former army officer who lost a leg and part of his arm after stepping on a mine in East Africa.
Motivational
Chris survived against all odds and is now one of Europe’s top motivational speakers. There’s a bid of £400 for that.
Other auction prizes include match-day hospitality at Celtic Park (currently £200), a four-ball at Turnberry (£125), two nights dinner, bed & breakfast at the Gigha Hotel on the beautiful island of Gigha (£350), two bottles of rare Skibo Castle malt whisky (£110), and Rangers Stylish Whisky Presentation signed by the first team (£77).
But generous Greig’s money-making escapades don’t end there. A week after he reaches John O’Groats he’s holding a fund-raising disco near his home where he promises more brilliant raffle and auction prizes.
Greig decided to raise money for our campaign after the eight-year-old son of close friends became ill with a mysterious condition.
He set off from Land’s End last Saturday afternoon and that night had reached St Austell. It was a 55-mile stretch and he was pleasantly surprised by the ease with which he covered the distance.
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 Greig and his bike ready to go at
Land’s End.
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But he got a shock on day two. He describes it as, “The day from hell. The day’s pattern was cycle about half a mile on the flat, then tank it down a big hill, then slog for about 45 minutes up the north face of the Eiger, back to half a mile on the flat etc. It was monotonous, murderous, and soul-destroying.”
But after that life in the saddle eased a bit and last night Greig said, “What’s kept me going was the sheer number of goodwill messages and calls I’ve received from family, friends and supporters.
“By the time I read them all I’m so overwhelmed by emotion that tears are streaming down my face.”
 IF YOU have a
special reason for contributing to or raising funds for our appeal
then we’d like to hear from you.
It could be that
you’d like to thank caring staff for the treatment they’ve
provided in your hour of need. Or perhaps a relative spent time in
one of Scotland’s children’s hospitals and the experience has
left a lasting impression on your family’s life.
Whatever the reason,
please let us know.
We’d be delighted
to share your experiences with our readers. And, who knows,
it may inspire others to follow in your fund-raising footsteps.
Back
to campaign main page
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You can e-mail us at:
hospitals@sundaypost.com |
