Rogart teen remembered - Golspie school event will benefit memorial fund set up by family
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The parents of a Sutherland teenager who tragically died earlier this year have set up a Memorial Fund through the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity.
It is understood that Donald and June Ross, of Acheilidh, Rogart, hope to raise enough funds to pay to have young people in East Sutherland screened for hidden heart disease through CRY.
And Golspie High School is supporting the initiative by holding a Soup, Sweet and Songs event tomorrow, the proceeds of which will go towards the fund.
Hamish, a Golspie High School pupil, died suddenly in July while staying with his grand-mother in Ayr.
A rising start in the karting world, his death sent shockwaves through the community.
Tributes poured in to the teenager, who was a member of the Colin Bird Racing Team after starting out on Honda Cadet karts and graduating to junior max.
North of Scotland Kart Club secretary Carol Blanchard said at the time that Hamish was a “lovely, very polite, confident young man who was always chatting away to someone or other and just loved his karting".
The school event runs at Golspie Community Centre from 1pm to 3pm on Friday and is being organised by the school’s Interact Group – a Rotary sponsored service club for secondary school age pupils.
Music teacher Heather Shelley said invitations had been put out through the pupils.
“The idea is just to get the community together, especially elderly folk and to enjoy some singing and food,” she said. “All the money raised will go towards the memorial fund.”
Local magician Clive Grewcock is expected to give a performance.
At least 12 young people die every week in the UK of undiagnosed heart conditions, according to CRY.
The charity was formed in 1995 and has since been offering bereavement support as well as promoting and developing heart screening programmes and funding medical research.
The charity’s website states: “CRY offers subsidised ECG and Echocardiogram screening to all young people between the ages of 14 and 35. There is a simple way to diagnose most cardiac abnormalities. This is by having an ECG (electrocardiogram) test. At a CRY screening we use a medical history questionnaire and ECG.”
