A sponsored swim in Kirkcudbright raised more than £3,000 towards the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Members of Kirkcudbright Amateur Swimming Club – The Otters – took on the challenge as they felt strongly about the situation and wanted to do something to help.
So they decided to swim 2,356m to represent the 2,356km separating the town from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
The senior swimmers swam the full distance in Kirkcudbright Pool, with juniors working in pairs to cover the 118 length total.
The event was an astounding success. After not being able to compete for two years, due to the pandemic, the atmosphere was electric and everyone swam their distance with enthusiasm and determination.
Parents baked cakes to raise extra funds at a bake sale and they also counted each swimmer’s laps. The coaches gave great advice and encouraged the swimmers until the final lap.
The committee organised the event and spread the word on social media which meant members of the community could come and offer their support.
After the final collection of all sponsorship and the funds from the bake sale, the club managed to raise a whopping £3,454.
The club gave the funds to Dumfries based charity MOOL (Massive Outpouring of Love) as they knew Ukrainian refugees would be arriving in the area and thought the funds would help them enormously.
The chairman of MOOL, David Formstone, visited the club to receive the cheque.
He was delighted the club chose MOOL and explained to the swimmers and the committee how vital the funds would be to help any Ukrainian refugees coming to Dumfries and Galloway.
