Black Isle boost for Highland hospital charity as Strathpuffer stars haul in £10K
THE family of a Black Isle girl giving back to the charity which has helped in their time of need has been left “overwhelmed” by the public response to their fundraiser.
As we previously reported, Alma Fraser has undergone months of treatment following diagnosis of a spine tumour and will continue to receive care from two hospitals.
The 12-year-old Fortrose Academy pupil inspired a fundraising team to take on the notoriously tough 24-hour Strathpuffer cycle challenge on half of The Archie Foundation, which provides practical help to families facing extended periods of hospital care, often far from home.
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Kenny and Maru Fraser said: “We are overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone in our community and beyond. We had an anonymous donation of £1500 and that took us over £10,000, and the donations are still coming in, it is just amazing.
“Friends, family, neighbours, people we don’t know, everyone was donating to Archie and that was so nice to see.
“It was also very heart-warming to read all the messages and comments from our small community here on the Black Isle. People here have been very supportive and generous.
The fundraising will be split between the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital and Raigmore Hospital Children's Unit. Alma's treatment will be ongoing at both hospitals over the coming year and we're delighted that many children will eventually benefit from these donations in some way."
Donald MacPherson, one of the cyclists and a guidance teacher at Fortrose Academy, said:
"Being part of such an amazing event was brilliant. The atmosphere and the support from fellow riders and spectators was fantastic.
“As a team, we were made up of mainly social cyclists, roadies, and mountain bikers. Over the last few months, we had met weekly to train, coming together to prepare ourselves for the challenge.
“Were we fully prepared? We certainly found it demanding, and most of us placed it squarely in the 'type 2' fun category! However, looking back, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. We were thrilled to spend the weekend together, raising funds for the charity that has supported an amazing young girl."
And Alma herself said: "I am really grateful for everyone that donated their money towards this amazing charity to help children like me."
The justgiving page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/page/strathpuffer-for-archie-2025