First Bus raise £7000 for Yorkhill Hospital in memory of brave schoolboy Caden Beggan

Dec 26 2012 by Robert Mitchell, Wishaw Press

Santa joins brothers Irfan Wasiq Katimon (bottom left) and Akmal Izham Katimon (bottom right), as Kenny Dickson from First Group presents a cheque from First Bus to Caden Beggan Memorial which is collected by Yorkhill Hospital representative David Welsh (right).

Kind-hearted employees from First Glasgow raised £7000 for the Caden Beggan Memorial fund that was set up when the brave Cleland schoolboy passed away last month.

The money is going to the Yorkhill Children’s Foundation after the six-year-old (right) died of meningococcal septicaemia in the Glasgow hospital.

Surgeons had amputated both his legs and his left hand in their efforts to save him and the fund is trying to raise £40,000 to purchase ground-breaking life-support equipment.

Employees at First Glasgow held a silent auction and the company’s engineering manager Kenny Dickson said: “We have been very keen to do what we can to raise funds for the children’s hospital at Yorkhill in memory of Caden and to help other children.”

Staff also wore pink to work before taking part in the auction, bidding on items from signed football memorabilia to designer clothing.

News of First’s auction went viral on Facebook. One compassionate bidder, a US Army National Guard Captain based in Afghanistan, successfully bid on an overnight stay in a Perthshire hotel and donated it as a surprise gift to Caden’s parents.

Another successful military bidder from Afghanistan is a British soldier who won a signed top gifted by football star James McFaddden. Other popular lots included a champagne afternoon tea-for-two, Sheraton spa experience and a two-course meal and screening of It’s A Wonderful Life at Glasgow’s Grosvenor cinema.

Rangers, Celtic and Motherwell football clubs generously contributed prizes for the auction.

Yorkhill Children’s Foundation fundraising director David Welch welcomed the £7000 donation, saying: “We are so grateful to receive this generous donation into the Caden Beggan Memorial Fund from First employees, customers and supporters.

“Such a generous contribution will go a long way towards providing enhanced medical equipment and resources which will benefit sick children and babies from all across Scotland and beyond.”

Caden’s dad, David, commented: “Angela (Caden’s mum) and I are very grateful and deeply moved by the efforts of First Bus’ to raise funds in support of the excellent work being done by Yorkhill’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

“We are thrilled that they were able to raise so much and our thanks go to everyone involved, including those who contributed gifts those who bid on the items in their silent auction. We are delighted that this will contribute to Caden’s lasting legacy.”

In early November, just days before Caden passed away, the bus company arranged for one of its buses to be painted pink in support of the youngster.