Alness all-day Cammie’s Connections event raises £15K for Sonny’s Strictly Inverness effort for Highland Hospice
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AN Easter Ross community danced its way to a near £15,000 boost during a poignant fundraiser at the weekend.
Sonny Rhind’s ‘Cammie’s Connections’ event for Strictly Inverness, raising funds for Highland Hospice and the local ice centre, was hosted at The Field, run by the Place Youth Group in Alness.
Sonny and dance partner Jackie Sutherland took the plunge to join the event as late substitutes after another couple pulled out and have been working to make up a four-week gap in fundraising and dance practice ahead of next month’s competition.
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Sonny’s big fundraiser was on Saturday, pulled together with the help of Gemma Dunnett, the best friend of his daughter and also head teacher at Milton Primary.
Sonny lost twin brother Alasdair, a well-known Easter Ross councillor and Tain community stalwart, just days before the event which, poignantly, also fell on his 66th birthday.
Speaking afterwards, Sonny, a former Averon Leisure Centre manager also well known for community activism, said: “It was better than I could have hoped for. The whole thing was fabulous. Everything on the day was donated for free. The bands were great and people just danced all night long.”
The event raised a remarkable £14,800.
The event was run in memory of Gemma's late parents James (Cammie) Cameron and Sheila Cameron.
Cammie was a member of the Country Jays band. Sheila was in the hospice for her final days and the cause is very close to the family's hearts as a result.
Both had a love for country music and the day saw several musicians donating their time to play in his honour for this worthy cause.
It was a true representation of community coming together, excellently organised by Gemma and her husband Mike Dunnett.
Sonny’s fundraising page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sonny.rhind.7
SEE TODAY’S ROSS-SHIRE JOURNAL FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT. KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE OVER THE WEEKEND FOR MORE…
