Cullen kids go extra mile for Archie
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PUPILS and staff at Cullen Primary have handed a north-east charity a four-figure boost.
A marathon challenge at the school has raised a fantastic £1800 for the Archie Foundation, the official charity of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
The youngsters choose to raise money for the charity to show their support for P5 classmate Freddie Irwin, who has been receiving treatment for leukaemia at the hospital, and to help other children and families across the north-east.
Cullen Primary is working toward achieving the sportscotland School Sport Silver Award and has set up a Sports Leaders Group with the help of Will Ramsay, the school’s newly qualified teacher (NQT), to encourage pupils to share their ideas on what sport and physical activity should look like in the school, and to get involved in planning and decision making.
They came up with the idea for a fundraising fun run and, working with Mr Ramsay, their suggestion grew into the idea for a whole school sponsored marathon which saw every pupil and staff member running a set distance which added up to the distance of a full marathon – 26.2 miles or 42,200 metres.
Head teacher Carene Hay said: “Everyone completed the challenge with the last 100m being completed by Freddie with the teaching team running behind.
"It was an overwhelming moment to see them running towards the finish line with the whole school cheering them on.
“I am so proud of the children and staff for their contributions in completing our Cullen Primary School marathon, and to families and friends for helping us to raise a phenomenal total of £1800 for the Archie Foundation.”
Grampian Regional Fundraising Officer for the charity, Cassie McGunnigle, was delighted to receive the cheque.
She said: "We are absolutely thrilled by the total raised through the school marathon and are very grateful to everyone who supported this special event.”
