School honour for fundraiser Ellouise
AKIND hearted schoolgirl has raised nearly £250 for charity by completing a gruelling 5k run.
Keen athlete Ellouise Cairns trained hard for three months with classmates at St John’s Primary School in Crossens to prepare for the recent Park Run.
But the eight-year-old decided to go one step further and use the race at Hesketh Park to raise funds for her school and Queenscourt Hospice.
She collected sponsors and managed to raise £247 which was split between her two chosen causes.
And she has also been presented with the school citizenship trophy for her outstanding contribution to her school and the wider community.
Ellouise said: “When I did the run I was so excited and I hope I do become an athlete because I find running really fun and also all my friends like running as well.
“I’m really grateful to everyone who sponsored me, I’m glad I can give half the money to my school and half to helping people with cancer at Queenscourt Hospice.
Proud parents Stephanie and Lewis Cairns said: “We are so proud of our daughter Ellouise completing her first 5km run, in what was a fantastic time, with bags of energy left afterwards!
“All Ellouise says she wants to do is be an athlete, we definitely see her having great achievements in running in the future.
“It was all her idea to raise money for her school and Queenscourt Hospice which was just wonderful and so thoughtful.
“Ellouise loves school and wanted to give something back and she saw this as a great opportunity. Raising money for Queenscourt Hospice means a lot to her and our family with having close relatives who have overcome cancer and others who have sadly lost their battle.
“She has taken the money herself to Queenscourt Hospice and presented it to them and the school, who also gave her a special citizenship award.”
Rachel Halsall, Year Two teacher and sports leader at St John’s, said: “All the children did an amazing job, but we are especially proud of Ellouise. We ran together and she was fantastic – a real inspiration to others.”
Head teacher Phil Thomson added: “We are delighted that we have such a wonderful citizen here at St John’s Church of England Primary School.
“Ellouise is a wonderful role model for the rest of our school and to have someone who has been so proactive in helping others in our school and the wider world is an amazing inspiration.
“We await to see how Ellouise and our school council decide to use the money she has raised for the benefit of all children here at St. John’s.”