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This is my personal challenge of swimming 10km in Loch Striven on 22nd August to raise money for Calums Cabin.
I promised a more in depth explanation of how this swim challenge came about, so here follows the full story…
THE CHARITY
Just over three years ago, a young boy named Calum, who lived in Rothesay was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour.
He knew he was going to die.
Rather than waste the last few months of his young life by doing nothing and letting the time slip past, he was determined to leave something to the world after he was gone.
It was his dream and his vision that a small house be built on the Island of Bute, near to Rothesay, where terminally ill children (from all over the UK), could come an spend a short time together with their families and enjoy some of moments they had left together in the beautiful and serene surroundings on the Isle of Bute.
Calum helped in the design of his “Calum’s Cabin.”
Calum died 30 months ago. He was aged 12.
“CALUM’S CABIN” was opened 12 months ago.
Every single week of the year, a sick child, suffering from a terminal illness, together with his or her family, is invited to the Cabin to enjoy what Calum inspired. The waiting list is endless….
It costs about £25,000 / ($40,000) a year to upkeep and maintain the property.
WHY THE SWIM
In March 2009 – I arranged the laying up of 6 of my container vessels in Loch Striven just north of the Isle of Bute.
It was due to my interaction with the local community in Rothesay that I became aware of ‘Calum’s Cabin’. This young man and his brave ordeal made a very strong impression on me.
When I first saw Loch Striven I had a desire to swim it – It was flat calm and so beautiful.
In discussion with Steven Burt, the plan to mingle my personal challenge with raising money for Calum’s cabin emerged and the rest is history!
So Sunday, 22nd of August, myself and my support team will venture to the top of Loch Striven and I will start my swim to the beach of the White House, near to where the ships were anchored.
The distance is about 10 kilometres, and will take around 3 hours.
I am doing this to help raise awareness of Calum’s Cabin and that people may donate any money they want to this absolutely fantastic cause. The donation can be as large or as small as you can afford.
I never met Calum, but from what I hear he was a normal happy go lucky young kid who loved life and was struck down by a terrible illness.
Even then, he never gave up and he was determined that his dream would come true, sadly he never lived to see the reality.
The Swim to me is a personal challenge and it should ultimately provide something of value to a small house in a community which I became so involved in, through my work.
