Hotel to host fundraiser in aid of Doddie Weir’s MND charity

A charity dinner in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation will be held at Crieff Hydro next month.

The Row The Sea For MND dinner will bring together some of the top names in sport, including Britain’s most successful female Olympian Katherine Grainger, and former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright.

The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was established by Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir in 2017 after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and seeks to raise funds to aid research into the condition.

The key speaker for the charity night will be SAS veteran John Davidson, who has taken on the challenge of rowing the Atlantic single-handed – covering 5,000km from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua – to raise funds for the foundation.

Worcestershire-based John is aiming to raise £100,000 for the charity through his endeavour, which he has named The Mad Giraffe Atlantic Row, after Bill Mclaren’s famous description of Doddie.

John said he was proud to be able to show his support for an icon of Scottish rugby.

“His battle with MND has been an inspiration, and having had the privilege of meeting Doddie and seeing his courage in the face of adversity, he inspired me to test my courage once again. “Rowing solo is so demanding,” he added.

“I’ll be on the oars 16 hours a day while navigating and when not rowing, I’ll be trying to eat, sleep and maintain the boat. There’s simply no room for error.”

Crieff Hydro CEO Stephen Leckie said: “We’re delighted to be able to host this event for such a worthwhile charity.”

John Davidson is preparing for the mammoth challenge.