A “bittersweet” annual dinner has raised £6,500 towards the life-saving charity Keiran’s Legacy.
Sandra and Gordon McKandie founded the charity following the death of their son Keiran, who was struck by a car while cycling on the outskirts of Elgin in March 2016.
The couple have devoted themselves to raising awareness of the importance of having easily accessible defibrillators across the north-east – after it took an ambulance half an hour to reach their son.
In a bid to increase the number of defibrillators, they have been fundraising to install more of the vital devices around Moray, with 10 bearing the charity’s name put in police cars since February last year.
His parents have now set the target of raising £21,000 for the charity by June next year to mark what would have been Keiran’s 21st birthday.
At the Moray Chamber of Commerce annual dinner on Friday, where businesses across Moray celebrate their success, guests acknowledged and supported Keiran’s Legacy.
Last night Sandra McKandie said it was amazing that the charity was chosen by them and was thankful to all who donated.
She said: “It’s pretty amazing that people chose to get behind the charity, it’s kind of them to support it and donate as much as they did.
“We’ve been raising money since Keiran’s birthday on June 23 and it’s going well – we’re keeping the figure close to our chest for now so we can reveal it on his birthday – but this gives us a huge boost.
“It’s quite emotional for us as well, it’s bittersweet but the money will go to hopefully saving more lives in Keiran’s name.”
