A charity football match will take place in Kirkcudbright this weekend in memory of a tiny tot.
The Wee Andy McKie Memorial game will be held as St Cuthbert Wanderers’ Under-15s face a mix of the club’s senior and colts players at St Mary’s Park on Saturday.
It’s being organised by Andy’s mum, Amie McColl, to raise funds for a solar powered defibrillator cabinet to be installed at the ground.
Amie, 38, said: “My son passed last March and we didn’t do anything like planting a tree or bench in his name.
“Both my kids are involved in football and I came up with the idea, passed it on to a couple of people and gone in full swing.
“It’s just to keep his memory alive and both my kids are involved with Saints.
“It’s just a community within a community and everybody has been great. For Kalim, my son, it’s been his avenue for grieving.”
Little Andy passed away in March 2022 when he was just 16-months old, with no indication as to why he died.
Amie said: “He had a slight viral infection when we put him to bed, then when I went to check on him he was gone.
“That’s why there’s no charity to raise money for or anything like that. He wasn’t well, we know that, but there was nothing found so it was put down as a sudden infancy death.”
Amie’s son, 15-year-old Kalim Carruthers, plays for Saints’ youth team and has recently been joined in the set-up by Amie’s daughter, six-year-old Tegan McKie.
As well as Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 2pm, there will also be tombola and a raffle.
Prizes include a signed Queen of the South shirt and a footstool made in St Cuthbert Wanderers colours by Jenny Gardner.
There will also be a lucky squares competition to win a night for two at Galloway View Holiday Lodges thanks to Lizzie and Euan Hutchison.
Amie is extremely grateful for everyone’s support and added: “Everyone has been so kind.”
