Friends and relatives of a young Lanarkshire woman who lost her life to a rare form of cancer at the age of 23 are taking to the dance floor with ballroom world legends in the first Strictly fundraiser of its kind in Scotland.
The eight-strong Team Eilidh is among five teams who will battle it out under the disco ball in Strictly Beatson – the first formation dance event ever held in aid of charity.
Team Eilidh will be dancing to raise thousands of pounds for Beatson Cancer Charity’s new bereavement support service, whose care and compassion will support the families and friends of people like Eilidh McHugh, of Bothwell, who tragically died on March 7, 2017.
Talented Eilidh, who graduated in 2016 from the University of Strathclyde with a first class Honours degree with distinction in Pharmacy, completed her pre-registration training at the Overtown Pharmacy in Wishaw.
It’s been a coup for Beatson Cancer Charity to have attracted to the glamorous event dance-world royalty, Donnie Burns and Heidi Groskreutz-Burns.
Donnie, of Hamilton, is 14-times Latin American World Champion, while his wife Heidi is a Latin American and Swing maestro known for making the final of the Fox TV series, So You Think You Can Dance.
Each team has been paired with two seasoned professionals, who will coach the dancers in the run-up to the glitzy event at Double Tree by Hilton Glasgow Central on October 8.
Team Eilidh comprises Eilidh’s mum and elder sister, Elaine and Kerry, family friend Theresa Maria Kiernan, Eilidh’s cousin Ruari Paton, and her close friends Andy Woods and Tony Moran.
Bringing more than 20 years’ experience to the Lanarkshire team are Latin American and ballroom professionals Tracy Donald and her partner, Graham Fox, who have danced competitively all over the world.
Like the other competitors, Team Eilidh will be filmed during rehearsals to help professionals plot their progress.
Each formation team will dance to tracks from their favourite stage musical – and Team Eilidh has chosen Elton John’s box office smash hit, Rocketman, routines for which will be choreographed by Tracy and Graham.
Competing against Team Eilidh will be: Team Beat 6 (Six by Nico); Team Curtis Moore (Curitis Moore Ltd); Team Rek ‘n’ Roll AutoRek); and Team Malcolm (Malcolm Group).
Said Tracy, of Cumbernauld: “We are really privileged to have been asked. Because it’s the first of its kind in Scotland, we know this event is going to be huge. There is not anyone who has not been touched by cancer, so to do something for Beatson Cancer Charity is amazing.”
Since the passing of Eilidh five years ago, mum Elaine, dad Mick and sister Kerry – together with relatives and friends of the former Holy Cross High pupil – have raised an astonishing £400,000 for Beatson Cancer Charity in her name.
Elaine discovered her love of dancing when, at the age of six, she registered as a pupil at the Viron School of Dance, which was run by Donnie Burns’ parents, Vi and Ronnie, in Hamilton’s Lamb Street.
Strictly Come Dancing was always the highlight of Saturday evenings in the McHugh family home in Bothwell.
But when they lost Eilidh, heartbroken Elaine could no longer bring herself to dance.
“Dancing was something Eilidh, Kerry and I loved to do. Every Saturday night, we’d dance around the living room to Strictly Come Dancing. It was our party piece,” said Elaine, 61.
“But when Eilidh passed away, I couldn’t bear to dance. It had been our thing. But you are not the person you were before, and you are not as carefree as you used to be. Kerry would always say to me at events: ‘Mum, come up and dance,’ and I just couldn’t possibly. It’s all the feel-good factors, all the memories.”
It wasn’t until a fundraising lunch in 2019 to mark Eilidh’s birthday that Beatson Cancer Charity director of fundraising, Morag Cunningham, persuaded her to slip on her dancing shoes once again and take to the floor at the Bothwell Bridge Hotel to perform with world champion, Bobby Cranston.
Elaine explained: “I knew if I was going to do this, I was going to do it for something special, and it was for a brachytherapy room in Eilidh’s name.”
Brachytherapy is the delivery of internal radiotherapy and is the standard treatment for cervical and endometrial cancers – and, as Team Eilidh, the Pharmacy graduate’s family and friends wanted to create a brighter, more cheerful and less clinical environment for women who are on that journey.
After her performance with Bobby – who is currently coaching another of the Strictly Beatson teams in the run-up to the competition – Elaine felt she had “climbed a mountain,” and may once again be able to rekindle her love of dance. But lockdown put paid to any social gatherings.
Then, in October, fundraising director Morag approached Elaine with the idea of the inaugural Strictly Beatson formation fundraiser.
“It is another personal challenge for Kerry and me, but there is always a purpose – and this time, it’s to raise funds for the bereavement service,” continued Elaine.
“Anyone who met Eilidh will remember and adore here forever. She was a ray of light and the life and soul of many a party. Eilidh knew how to fill a dance floor!
“Taking part in this special event as Team Eilidh feels absolutely fitting in our passion to keep Eilidh’s memory alive and make a difference in her name – and we know she would absolutely love watching us try to master a formation dance from the musical, Rocketman, which aptly includes I’m Still Standing.
“Every single penny we raise through our Strictly Beatson participation will go towards supporting Beatson Cancer Charity’s new bereavement service, which will offer caring and compassionate support, particularly in the first few months of a person’s loss.
“Many members of Team Eilidh, and so many others, know the loss of a loved one to cancer is one of life’s most distressing events, and can be emotionally, mentally and physically overwhelming.”
Every donation towards Team Eilidh’s dance routine will further support the service and make a difference to families like the McHughs, who had to navigate unimaginable grief and would have benefited from a specialist Beatson Cancer Charity bereavement service.
Elaine, who thanked Eilidh’s friend, Andy Woods, of Silverbirch Garden Centre in the Clyde Valley for sponsoring the team’s dancing shoes, appealed: “Please support us as we dance for Eilidh.”
To date, Eilidh’s dancers have raised nearly £2000 towards their £6000 target. To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/team-eilidh
For tickets to Strictly Beatson or more information, call 0141 212 0505 or email susan.brodie@beatsoncancercharity.org
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