Caithness sevens team pitches in to help Kayden
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LIFE’S a pitch is the attitude being adopted by a seven-a-side football team which is taking part in a unique challenge to raise money for Kayden’s Wish 2 Walk appeal.
Culchester United will set off on a 100km Halloween run across all 11 football parks used during Caithness Amateur Football Association’s (CAFA) summer season.
If running across the county wasn’t exhausting enough, the players will take part in a gruelling penalty shoot-out at each pitch before heading to the next.
The test is the brainchild of Culchester United founder Darryn Mackay who undertook a similar challenge two years ago.
Along with his dad and brother, he completed a 60km relay run from Skerray to Thurso to raise funds for Marie Curie Thurso.
The team consists of 14 squad members including Halkirk United manager Michael Bremner, Thurso High School PE teacher Ewan McElroy and referee Graham Elder.
Mr Mackay said the team has been touched by the story of three-year-old Kayden Gordon who suffers from spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
The youngster’s parents are campaigning to raise the £80,000 he needs for an operation in the US that will help him to walk.
“We arranged to have some sort of charity fundraising event to raise funds to cover the team’s league entry fees and raise funds for a local charity,” said Mr Mackay.
“A few lads suggested raising funds for Kayden’s Wish 2 Walk so we decided to go for that. Between us we knocked around a few ideas. We wanted to do something challenging and different and this is what we came up with.”
At each pitch, the 14 players will split into two teams and have a penalty competition. The teams will stay the same throughout the day and the side with the fewest wins will have to follow a forfeit laid out by the winning team on the night out following the run.
All CAFA teams have supported the venture and the group will be running to 11 football pitches including Naver, Ormlie, Castletown, Dunnet, John O’Groats, Keiss, Upper Bignold, Lower Bignold, Watten, Halkirk and the Dammies.
Tesco is supporting the fundraisers by supplying refreshments during the run on Saturday, October 31.
Donations can be made at Newsbeat Newsagents and Top Joe’s in Thurso or online at justgiving.com/culchester/
