Published: Sunday, 12th October, 2008 09:00
Aedan's songs to boost hospital appeal
By Fiona Howard
Print Article
PICTURE PERFECT: Aedan and mum Mairead.
LITTLE Helensburgh lad Aedan McGinley is eight-months-old and as cute as a button.
But the beautiful baby boy could so easily not have been here without the help of the specialists at Yorkhill Hospital for Sick Children.
And to say thank you, Aedan's cheery little face is fronting a campaign to raise £10,000 for the surgeons at the hospital, to help them buy new specialist equipment.
Aedan’s grandparents — well-known local couple Pat and Joyce McGinley who run the Teak and Ash pub with their sons Neil and Michael — have joined forces with Aedan’s mum Mairead, customers and friends, to raise the money.
Joyce said: “Aedan was born with a congenital heart condition and he has already undergone surgery with two more operations to come.
“He will have open heart surgery just before Christmas and again when he is four.
“We have been going to Yorkhill regularly and they have been fantastic so we decided to do a wee bit of fund raising for them.”
But news got out, and Helensburgh man Tommy Sharkey came up with the idea of a staging the ‘Songs for Aedan and Friends’ campaign — which had been scheduled as a major concert in the Victoria Halls.
Now, however, other businesses have joined in and Aedan’s campaign is off on a roll with £1,500 already collected and many more events to come.
Joyce continued: “I have spoken to the surgeon and the cardiac nurse who have been treating Aedan to find out what is needed and they told me that their specialist operating instruments are all on loan, which I found shocking, so that’s what we are raising the money for.”
FORTY hirsute Helensburgh gentlemen are planning to take part in a very special race which will end with them being bald!
The hairy lads are all having their heads shaved in a race against the clock as part of a massive fund raising campaign for Yorkhill, instigated as a thank you for little Aedan.
The head shave, on October 19 at 3pm, is the first major fund raising event and it will see 20 volunteers from the Ashton and 20 from the Teak lined up on James Street while four volunteer hairdressers shave their heads against the clock.
The ‘victims’ will be sponsored, and a collection is also being taken. and the hair will be weighed at the end of the challenge to find out which pub team has donated the most hair to the cause.
An evening jam session is being staged at Coopers and local musicians are welcome to join in.
Four local bands with some very well-kent faces will begin the proceedings before others take to the stage.
The bands are Tommy Sharkey and the Midget Millers, the reformed Tokyo, Harmonica Lewinsky featuring local businessman Robert Ryan and Frosty and Friends from Clydebank. Full details are available from Coopers.
There will also be a number of other events including a race night and the whole effort will culminate with a huge band night at the Victoria Halls on December 27, featuring the Midget Millers, A51s, Mama Rag and various others.
Organiser Tommy Sharkey is hoping that 400 tickets can be sold for this event.
He said: ”We are trying to raise £10,000 and hopefully, with the support of the people of Helensburgh, we can do it. So far everyone has been amazing offering help and sponsorship but obviously all help and donations will be gratefully received.”
Other pubs have buckets on bars for donations and some are selling football cards for the cause.
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Heart fund's £23,000