Rugby: Lawrie load of help for Maggie's

Published on Friday 6 March 2009 09:16

EDINBURGH Rugby hooker Steve Lawrie handed over a cheque for almost £1500 to Maggie's Cancer Care following a successful race night and revealed the motivation behind the fundraising event was to pay tribute to his former coach, Grant Mackenzie.

After coaching Lawrie at Stewart's Melville school, Mackenzie sadly passed away last year, prompting Lawrie and his team-mates at social 7s side Rodent Rugby to stage the evening.

Lawrie said: "The reason behind doing it for Maggie's was because a lot of guys were coached at school by Grant. He was a big inspiration for most of the guys who came up through the system.

"He took a lot of comfort from the Maggie's Centre and the help they were able to offer him. So it was an easy choice because Maggie's are an Edinburgh Rugby charity as well."

Lawrie handed over the cheque to Maggie's fundraising co-ordinator Marion Taylor and also got on his bike to promote the charity's Monster Bike and Hike.

Participants in the event take part in a 30-mile bike ride then can choose to hike eight miles for the bronze level, 22 miles for silver or 43 for gold.

The event takes place on the weekend of May 2-3 in the shadow of Ben Nevis in Fort William, along the Caledonian Canal and the Great Glen Way

More than 700 people are expected to take part in an attempt to raise 500k for Maggie's network of centres, which offer emotional support and practical advice to people with cancer, their families and friends.