Underbank’s team overcome fatigue for Sia

And a marathon is exactly what Sally Sneddon, Christine Gray, Jeni Lennox and Abigail McKerral, running in relays, did, raising a magnificent £1400 for the Childrens Hospice Around Scotland (CHAS).

Their effort was during Sunday’s Hairy Haggis Marathon Relay covering 26.2miles across four relay legs through Scotland’s capital city.

Behind all this sweat and effort was four-year-old Sia, Sally Sneddon’s daughter, who, in the words of one of the mums, “has lots of complex health needs and has overcome many challenges in her short life.

“CHAS have been there throughout it all. We were a group of P1 Underbank mums with limited running experience so this really has been a huge challenge for us. However, we somehow managed to train in between our busy and hectic mummy lives, all to give a little bit back to a charity that has done so much for Sally’s family.”

CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) have provided fantastic care and support for Sally’s (Team Captain) daughter and for their family throughout the last four years. The Underbank mums running squad, dubbed, of course, ‘Team Sia’, issued a joint statement after Sunday’s event.

It said: “The level of support that our family, friends, colleagues and Underbank Primary school community have shown us has been pivotal in our motivation.

“So from the four of us, THANK YOU, to each and everyone who has contributed to us smashing our fundraising target way beyond what we could of hoped for!

“Our just giving page is still open for those who still wish to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hairyhaggismums.”

Naturally, CHAS have praised the mums for their efforts on their behalf and wee Sia for inspiring them.

The Clyde Valley has been a major contributor to CHAS over the years, not least via the efforts of Stonebyres resident Nan Kirk whose legendary lunches have raised tens of thousands for the cause over the years.