10 days of crazy good fun And charity benefits too
When six-year-old Ben Taylor challenged mum Katie McLaughlin to say yes to a series of challenges, she didn’t know what she was letting herself in for.
Ten days later she’s been soaking wet, freezing cold, covered in goo, exhausted and her neighbours think she may have lost the plot.
But the mum-of-three, from Cowie, says she’s had “the best week ever” - and a local charity is already several hundred pounds better off.
Katie said: “I took a week off work to gut my garage and have work done in the house so trying to juggle everything being upside down along with the challenges has been tricky at times - but we’ve actually had the best week ever.
“I don’t think Ben will ever forget it. Nor will I.”
It all started with Ben watching the Netflix film “Yes Day” during the Easter break. In the movie two parents who usually say no decide to say yes to their kids’ wildest requests - with a few ground rules - on a whirlwind day of fun and adventure.
“Ben begged me for a ‘yes day’ where I had to say yes to five things,” said Katie. “In one day we put the Christmas tree up, walked into Blue Banks in the River Forth, found a Wonka chocolate bar and built a den at 3am.
“I kept my friends updated throughout the day by posting on Facebook and then Ben’s aunt Frances Cummings asked if I’d consider doing it (one challenge per day) for the Eilidh Brown Memorial Fund which I was only to happy to agree to.”
Eilidh Brown died from cancer on in 2010 aged just 15. Her family set up the charity to build a holiday home in Scotland for young people and their families who have been touched by cancer, in Eilidh’s memory. While the home near Thornhill is almost complete, fundraising continues as it will take £50,000 a year to run.
“I have a couple of friends whose children have suffered from cancer,” said Katie, “so know only too well the value of what the fund is working towards achieving.
“I did wonder if we’d raise anything as it’s just Ben and I being a bit daft, but to date he’s raised more than £530 and we have had such a great time doing so.
“Ben’s come up with the ideas with some subtle suggestions from his older brothers. His uncle suggested I wear the Rangers top in exchange for a £40 donation not really thinking I’d do it - I’m a Celtic fan - but mainly it’s just Ben and his imagination.
“My favourite was putting up the Christmas tree. I’m Christmas daft so it wasn’t any heartache to put the Christmas tunes on and get the decorations out.
“The hardest so far though has been standing in iced water for two minutes. That was painful.
“If people want to see the challenges I’ve made them public on my Facebook page ‘Katie Tootsie Laughlin’.
“It really has been great fun - but I’m going back to work now for a rest.”
Ben’s challenges included: ■To find a Wonka chocolate bar. “We found one...eight shops later,” said Katie.
■ To put the Christmas tree up and put the outside festive lights on for a night.
■ Ben went into his mum’s room at 3am and challenged her to build a den in the living room for them to sleep in.
■ To stand in a bucket of iced water in a Rangers top for two minutes - despite supporting Celtic and even having two Celtic decorated bedrooms in the house.
■To walk into the Blue Banks waters in the River Forth and pour a bottle of water over her head.
■ Eat it or wear it challenge. Katie was faced with a host of foodstuffs - which she could either eat or have dropped on her head.
■ To try to drink a bottle of cola with four Mentos in her mouth. “It’s messy...”
To donate to the effort visit: https://www.justgiving. com/fundraising/francescummings1