A charity set up in memory of an Elgin teenager has granted their 1,000th “sparkle” – sending an Aberdeenshire child to Lapland this Christmas.
Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation supports children undergoing treatment and their families.
The trip to Lapland will be the 1,000th child that the charity has helped since launching.
Abbie Main, from Elgin, died on Christmas Day 2017 following a five-year battle with cancer. While in hospital, the 15-year-old set up Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation to help other families going through such a tough time.
The charity focuses on giving children affected by cancer “sparkles”, which can be a gift, or a free trip to Abbie’s Sparkle Lodge in Aviemore.
Russell and Tammy Main said the 1,000th sparkle was particularly poignant, as Abbie loved Christmas.
She went to Lapland with her mother for a day with the Make-a-Wish Foundation in 2014, and would have loved to have stayed longer.
What will the family experience in Lapland?
Now a family will get that chance with a four-day special trip which will involve a number of special activities on a Search for Santa, including:
- Husky and reindeer sled rides
- Snowmobile trips
- Igloo games with the mischievous elves
- Snow and Ice fun activities and tobogganing
- Activities in the Reindeer Centre
The trip has been organised by tour operator Hotelplan UK through their Santas Lapland offer.
‘We still see Christmas as Abbie’s day’
Mrs Main said: “We are so grateful to the team from Hotelplan UK for making this happen for one of our local families, we are really blown away by your kind gesture.
“We know personally the difference a treat like this can make to a child dealing with the difficult challenges of cancer treatment.
“Christmas is Abbie’s favourite time of the year, even though Abbie passed away on Christmas day, we still see it as Abbie’s day.”
What else has Abbie’s Sparkle done?
Despite being a small charity, Abbie’s Sparkle’s say they are making a big difference.
In 2019, the charity had helped more than 100 families suffering from cancer.
But now they have helped over 1,000 families.
During its existence, the charity has also raised more than £500,000.
Some of the biggest fundraisers include Abbie’s brother running up Ben Nevis five times in 24 hours in memory of his sister in 2018.
In May, when Abbie would have turned 21, a trustee of the charity decided to complete 21 challenges in 21 months to raise money.
Conversation