£100,000 drive to aid cancer victims

Published on Thursday 24 January 2008 09:53

A BUSINESSMAN hopes to raise up to £100,000 by driving his vintage car all over the UK in memory of Lothian teenage cancer victim Zoe King.

Alan Biggar – a colleague of Zoe's mum Sharon – will donate the money to a campaign for a teenage cancer unit in the city.

The 54-year-old, from North Berwick, was inspired by Zoe, who died aged 17 in September and helped raise money for the Teenager Cancer Trust in the last months of her life.

His journey will take him to all 39 outlets of Brewin Dolphin, of which his employer, Haymarket-based stockbrokers Bell Lawrie, is a subsidiary.

Several thousand pounds have already been pledged to Mr Biggar for the Evening News-backed campaign, and it is hoped the money raised will provide a significant chunk of the total needed for the unit.

He said: "It really was a rollercoaster time for Sharon and John (Zoe's father]. They would have a setback, then some good news, then another setback.

"I saw how it affected the family, but what really struck me was that, especially in the last year of her life, Zoe was so determined to raise money for the TCT. I wanted to help and I am a bit of a motoring enthusiast, so I thought this would be the best way to do it.

"I've set aside around a fortnight to do all this, but it may take longer, especially since I have to get across to Jersey and Guernsey, and over to Belfast."

Once the circuit of the country – from Inverness to St Helier – is complete, Mr Biggar will stop off at Knockhill to be joined by several other Morgan cars for a final parade across the Forth Road Bridge and into Edinburgh.

Evening News readers have already donated more than 13,000 to the appeal, set up in memory of Zoe, from Uphall, West Lothian.

Lynne McNicoll, the volunteer fundraiser for the TCT who helped co-ordinate the campaign with the Evening News, said Mr Biggar's drive was "an amazing thing to do". She said: "It is already becoming quite clear that Alan's Drive For Zoe will raise a substantial sum of money. for Teenage Cancer Trust his enthusiasm for this project is hard to match.

"As Zoe would have wished, all funds raised in her name will be used to help teenagers treated in Edinburgh fight cancer."

Mr Biggar's challenge will start on June 15.