Girvan pals stride out to help our heroes

Jul 25 2008 by Edwin Lawrence

THEY did it! Five-year-old Kayla, right, and six-year-old Devon walked almost the entire length of their town.

The youngsters raised a super £225 in sponsorship cash for the Help for Heroes charity.

Kayla’s Auntie Helen, 26, has just returned from Afghanistan, where she did frontline nursing.

Helen, who has previously served in Iraq, was part of an aero-medical evacuation team.

But she will soon be heading home to Girvan for a spell of well-deserved leave.

Mum Lorraine said: “My grand-daughter Kayla is very proud of her Auntie Helen.

“And even at five she realises that soldiers are being wounded in a war.

“She knows Auntie Helen tries to help them, and she wants to help too.”

Little Kayla and pal Devon did a sponsored walk of almost the entire length of Girvan. They set out from the Doune Burn Stores, a corner shop at the south end of the town.

And they walked all the way to the new Asda supermarket, at the north end.

The cash they raised will be added to proceeds from a race night being organised by the Gilchrist family.

Lorraine Gilchrist said: “It will be a kind of welcome home party for Helen.

“But we hope it will also be a great fundraiser for Help for Heroes.

“Helen wants it that way, and a lot of Girvan people and businesses are already donating.”

The race night is in Girvan’s Catholic Hall on Saturday, August 2.

The race programme will be followed by a buffet, a disco, a lucky ticket draw and a raffle.

Tickets are available from the Royal Hotel in Girvan on 01465 714203.

Or from Kayla’s granny Lorraine Gilchrist on 07901 772039.