Boy's Olympic torch fundraiser reaches the heights of the Cairngorms
A remarkable Olympic torch has hit the heights of the Cairngorms thanks to a kind-hearted Kingussie woman.
Chanelle Lenton, (21), took in the breakfast TV news recently before leaving for work at Britain’s highest restaurant – the Ptarmigan, 1,097 metres up Cairn Gorm – and lost her heart to a young boy all the way down in Somerset.
Logan McKerrow (5), from Chard, had explained to the BBC 1 audience that he had made his own Olympic torch ahead of the London 2012 Games and had decided to sell it to raise money for a very special charity.
"He saw that a woman had already sold a real one for lots of money," said Chanelle, "and he thought ‘Why not sell my own?’.
"I was really impressed by that and decided to follow him on Facebook."
But she did more than follow the relay, she joined it. "I’m proud to say that I became the ninth holder of the torch and the first in the Highlands," said Chanelle, who has a 10-month-old son Oliver. "I’ve loved playing my part in the relay,"
"My husband Darren and I have really enjoyed holding it, but we now have to send it off again to the next buyer.
"It continues being handed on until the end of the London 2012 Games, then The Queen will declare the auction over. It’s been such a brilliant idea."
Chanelle was due to post the torch on Wednesday evening from the Badenoch capital to the highest bidder at the end of the latest round on eBay. The auction was was due to close at 6pm.
So far Logan has raise £20,000 with his virtual Olympic "torch relay" in aid of the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
He made his own Olympic torch at school and has been helped with the fundraising by his mum Kerry. After initially being listed on the online auction site, the torch raised just under £150 for the charity, having been bought by three generous eBay bidders.
But Logan’s luck took a dramatic turn when his story featured on BBC Breakfast last month and touched the hearts of millions of viewers. Since then his torch relay - like the London 2012 games - has gone from strength to strength.
