THEY’RE A COUPLE OF STARS
SAINTS FANS MIKE AND ANNETTE RALLY ROUND TO HELP CHARITY
A caring husband-and-wife duo insist charity work has helped them navigate through the uncertainty of lockdown.
Houston couple Annette and Mike Whalen were forced to shield at home when Covid-19 struck.
And their lives became even more worrying when Mike fell ill, later discovering he had probably contracted the virus early on in the pandemic.
The pair, both in their 70s, were desperate to do something to take their minds off the unsettling period and decided to try and help the club they love and its charitable foundation.
“Because of our age we were told to shield virtually from the very beginning of lockdown,” Annette explained.
“Mike was suspected to have had it early on because he became very unwell. It was a really worrying time for both of us.
“Thankfully, he’s a lot better now but at the time we were really in need of something else to focus on.
“We’re both huge St Mirren fans and I spoke to the club’s charity boss Gayle Brannigan and she told us all about the work they do for the Star Project.
“We spoke to a few of our neighbours to see if they’d like to help with a food collection to help out.
“The response was amazing. People would drop off a bag of sugar or pasta each and before we knew it we had 10 bags full of groceries ready to hand over.
“It really helped my husband and I to know we were doing something helpful and to take our minds off everything else that was going on.”
The big Buddies fans have never felt more love for their club after staff continued to check in on them both during lockdown.
And even now, as they begin to enjoy life outside of their home, they plan to continue with their doorstep collections for as long as possible.
Annette added: “The support we’ve had from the club has been amazing.
“We knew that St Mirren was a family club but the way they phoned us all the time to see if we were both okay was beyond lovely.
“We felt so comforted that the club were worried about us and checking in on us all the time.
“I thought we’d do this for a few weeks but it’s still ongoing.
“We still get about three of four bags worth every week so we hand them over every Thursday to be given to the Star Project.
“We’ve just enjoyed our first day out and had a lovely lunch at an outdoor cafe. We’re so glad life is starting to return more to normal but we’ll keep our collections going as long as we can.”