An eight-year-old girl from Camlough has jumped at the chance to raise money for a cause close to her heart with an ambitious fundraising challenge.
Aoife McGinn has been inspired to skip her way to 3,100 skips to raise funds for Cancer Research UK after two family members recently received diagnoses.
The challenge, which involves committing to one hundred skips per day from March 1, will run throughout the month of March.
Speaking to Armagh I, Aoife’s dad Niall explained how the idea came about: “Cancer Research UK put up challenges that you could do over March, skipping was one of them so we bought her a skipping rope recently. So, she said she would like to do it and her mum bought her a skipping rope to get her going.
“As much as she is a child she would be very aware of what goes on in treatment. We were taking a family member up and down to treatment in Belfast and she would have been aware that we were going to a hospital. She just wanted to do something to help.”
Of the challenge, Aoife said: “I really like skipping so I thought it would be a good idea to complete the skipping rope challenge.
“I have people in my family, and friends who have cancer and I want to help them.”
Aoife’s parents have also been keen to show their support by getting involved with a few daily skips, although dad, Niall said: “I did 3 the other day and I gave up.”
Niall said that Aoife has not only started her first day off on the right foot with “20 skips done before school”, but that the fundraising page has also taken an incredible leap on day one with over £700 raised at the time of writing.
The target was initially set for £150 but Niall now states that the mission is to “raise as much as possible”.
You can make a donation here to support Aoife in her skipping challenge.
