Event remembe
A LIVE music event held in memory of a six-month-old Clydebank tot has raised more than £700 for charity.
Grayson’s Gig took place on Sunday, May 5, at Clydebank Rugby Club on Dean Street.
It was organised as a memorial for Grayson Bobby Fraser, who tragically died just days before Christmas in 2022.
Mark Pickering, who has been friends with Grayson’s mum Cheryl for more than 30 years, put the day together.
He told the Post that £713.89 was raised in aid of Men’s Shed Clydebank.
Mark said: “This is our way of trying to help Cheryl and her family. We can’t take their pain away, we just have to be by their side.
“I said I’d do this annually in Grayson’s memory. Our intention is to keep his name alive. We [Grayson’s Gift] don’t intend on becoming a charity in the near future so we’ll be looking to raise funds on behalf of other groups.
“We want to support local people.”
The event was free to attend with guests enjoying several musical performances throughout the day and into the evening.
There was also a buffet, home baking, a bouncy castle, face painting, and a raffle.
Last year, Grayson’s parents Cheryl Murray and Graeme Fraser set up Grayson’s Gift, a non-profit group, to carry on their “happy wee boy’s legacy”.
Cheryl explained that events like this are their way of thanking the community who rallied around them during their darkest hours.
She said: “It was a lovely day and Mark did a great job. Everybody enjoyed themselves and it wasn’t about raising money, it was a case of if you are able to donate you could.
“We wanted it to be a free event so the fact that we managed to raise more than £700 for Men’s Shed was a bonus.
“We just wanted people to go out and not actually have to buy things. It was our way of saying ‘thanks for supporting us’ because we have done quite a few events and it’s been our family, friends and the community that have supported us.
“I know the way things are at the moment, I’m a mum so sometimes you’ll say ‘I can’t make it along because it’s too expensive’ so we made sure the face painting, food, and home baking was free of charge.
“There was loads of home baking donated by Pretty Baked. Loads of local businesses helped us out.”
Members of Grayson’s Gift also recently completed the Glasgow Kiltwalk in support of Brightest Star, a charity which is close to the family’s heart.
Cheryl added: “People get mixed up thinking that we’re a charity but that’s not what it’s about, we’re more of a community group.
“Whoever organises the event does it in memory of Grayson. There were about 20 of us that did the Kiltwalk and the money raised from that is going to the Brightest Star.
“They’ll always be close to our hearts as they helped us so much as a family. Grayson’s Gift is about helping the community.”