Elgin Covid-19 vaccination team perform Jerusalema dance for Keiran's Legacy Kiltwalk challenge
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STAFF at Elgin's Fiona Elcock Vaccination Centre turned dance troupe before work on Friday to limber up for the 2021 Virtual Kiltwalk – raising money for local charity Keiran's Legacy.
Around 40 uniformed members of the vaccination team busted some moves en masse to the upbeat Jerusalema dance craze for the lifesaving charity's Virtual Kiltwalk effort. Running from Friday, April 23, until Sunday, April 25, Virtual Kiltwalk participants chose their own challenge and charity this year.
Their dance will be included in a video along with other local Covid-19 vaccination teams and healthcare support workers performing the routine at various landmarks around Moray.
Their combined Jerusalema video is set for release today, April 26.
Jerusalema, by South African house musician Master KG featuring Nomcebo Zikode, has swept around the world during the pandemic. The dance emerged in Angola and has seen people from all walks of life, from police forces to airline workers to nuns, joining in and posting videos online.
A piper led the Elgin health workers in a procession along Edgar Road from the centre to the back car park before they got into formation for the dance.
Keiran's Legacy was founded by the parents of Elgin Academy pupil and keen cyclist Keiran McKandie, who died in 2016, aged 16, after a car accident. The charity works to educate and provide hands-on training on how to save lives, as well as distribute defibrillators.
Former nurse Sandra McKandie, Keiran's mum, led the team in the dance. She said the song was all about hope and saving lives during the pandemic.
She added: "When we walked round with the piper I felt really quite emotional, for professional reasons and for Keiran.
"We saw this and thought it's something to improve people's mental health, it's dancing, it's being outside. It's all the things Keiran loved – music, dance and outdoor exercise."
Money raised for charities through this year's Virtual Kiltwalk will be topped up by 50 per cent by philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter's Hunter Foundation.
Sandra said: "I spoke to the team at the vaccination centre and everyone there was really keen to support Keiran's charity.
"It's something different. The music is uplifting, fun and catchy. We're trying to get the whole team involved in some way.
"As well as that, we're trying to showcase Moray by filming in the outdoors."
"We'll get the video out there and hopefully people will support us and it's something they can smile at.
"And if people want to support us that's great as Covid has certainly made things more difficult.
"It's a feel-good fundraiser to show people the charity is still here – still trying to save lives."
More than 11,000 people in Scotland took part in this year's socially-distanced Virtual Kiltwalk.
To donate visit the team's Kiltwalk page, Keirans Legacy Loons and Quines Team, or the Keirans Legacy Kiltwalk page.
