Ayrshire nursery celebrates with alpacas as brave boy smashes £250k cancer fundraiser

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An Ayrshire nursery has held a huge celebration for one of their brave youngsters whose cancer appeal has raised more than £250,000.Granny Smith’s in Troon toasted ‘one of their own’ Calum Rae who smashed his fundraising target to send him to New York for specialist treatment in just four months.The Ayr Street institution rallied round the courageous four-year-old as he battled high risk neuroblastoma.

Since day one of his devastating diagnosis, staff at the nursery got together to plan out ways to help raise the quarter-of-a-million needed to send Calum to the States.

They were just one of dozens of Troon businesses who pledged support to the little ‘Rae of Sunshine’. And following successful fundraisers including a Ladies Night, and a huge sponsored walk, the nursery raised more than £10,000 towards the total.Their latest event, a huge fun-day in the nursery grounds, came on Sunday, August 20 – just days after the magic total was hit.But that didn’t stop the event from running, with staff and children celebrating their star boy.

As Calum and his family, mum Victoria McDonald, dad Andrew Rae and baby sister Emily, were all there to party.Nursery practitioner Jen Pollok: “We knew the fundraising total was hit but we just had a massive party to celebrate Calum.“We are just so glad they smashed it.“When we first heard about Calum it was the easiest decision to make to support him and raise as much as could.“If someone told us this would happen in four months we’d never believe them.“The strength Andrew and Victoria have shown is incredible.