Bo'ness Rugby Club smash fundraising target for Doddie Weir foundation with Ben Nevis climb

Bo’ness Rugby Club were finally able to climb Ben Nevis last weekend, over a year since they originally planned to scale Scotland’s highest peak.
The fundraisers from Bo'ness Rugby Club at the top of Ben NevisThe fundraisers from Bo'ness Rugby Club at the top of Ben Nevis
The fundraisers from Bo'ness Rugby Club at the top of Ben Nevis

Those taking part were doing so to raise money for the My Name’s Doddie Foundation, the charity set up by Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir in 2017 to battle Motor Neuron Disease.

With the global pandemic preventing them form undertaking the challenge in 2020, the fundraisers got creative and instead decided to walk the equivalent distance between the Stadiums which make up the venues for the Six Nations Championship.

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That included the creative idea to use the pedalos at Grangemouth’s Helix Park to cover the water distances from the UK to France and Ireland.

Originally, the organisers had set a target of £1000 but that was quickly surpassed and replaced with a new goal of £5000.

Now, having completed the Nevis climb, the fundraisers have smashed that goal and have raised over £6000 as of Monday morning.

Bo’ness RFC vice captain Alisdair Edmond said it was an emotional day for everyone involved to finally get the climb completed.

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He said: “It's been a long time so to finally get it done was something special.

"For a lot of the guys it was a big achievement making it up, it's probably one of the biggest physical tasks they've ever undertaken.

"Obviously the fundraising was the main thing but, since our pedalo event last year this has been the first time we've all gotten together for something other than training.”

Edmond, who along with fellow club member Mark MacDonald took the lead on the challenges, also wished to thank the people and businesses who made the day possible.

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"One of the directors of the Ben Nevis distillery is also the treasurer for the foundation so he gave us his tasting rooms once we finished for a few drinks and food so we were able to have a great day afterwards as well.

"The Corby Inn also sponsored us and they were great at giving us donations so thank you to them.

"The day after we did the climb was Doddie's birthday and he put a message up on his page so it was great having that reminder of what we were doing it for.”

Donations are still being accepted and can be made via the Go Fund Me site HERE.

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