It seemed like it was about time for a roundup of our recent fundraising activities. We have had a very successful few months with three very different events between November 2009 and March this year. To start with we had an excellent meal (a sushi banquet in fact) at Bonsai Bar Bistro on West Richmond Street, Edinburgh (see the bonsai website at http://www.bonsaibarbistro.co.uk/). This was followed in February by another of our famous quiz nights at the Golf Tavern (http://www.golftavern.co.uk/) by the Meadows. And finally in March this year, David and Tim joined Keith, Cydz and Vicki to run in the ‘Mighty Deerstalker’ 5km and 10km runs – a ghastly experience which we hope to repeat in 2011! More of that in a minute but firstly let’s return to the scene at Bonsai...
It was a similar arrangement to our tapas event earlier in 2009 but a little more intimate with 10 diners tucking in. Andrew the owner and head chef at Bonsai wowed us with a fantastic dinner based around one of Bonsai’s excellent set menus. On sitting down we were treated to a delicious selection of fresh and tasty Japanese dishes including amongst other things Miso soup, hand rolled sushi rolls, Daikon salad, Teriyaki, and finished off with a delicious green-tea ice-cream. The dishes were all exquisitely presented which really added to our enjoyment, as did a few Japanese beers! It was a fun evening with good company and the chance to make some new friends. And as well as the great food and company it was of course raising vital funds for Peartree IT too with half the ticket price going direct to the charity - raising £100. So all round it was another great success and one that we look forward to repeating soon.
The February quiz night was once again organised and hosted by our resident expert Eddie who also recently joined us on the board of Peartree IT. By all accounts it was a packed house with the usual mix of tense competition amongst a ‘well watered’ crowd. As the rounds progressed the questions ratcheted up in difficulty with the only respite being the music round which provided light relief for the ears if not from the competition which remained fierce to the end! The winners this time were the ‘Thickerish Allsorts’, one of the motley crews drawn from Standard Life’s technical arm. Approximately £450 was raised on the night which was a real return to form for a well proven and popular event. If you missed out on this quiz why not bring your team along to our next event at the Cannon's Gait on the High St, Edinburgh on July 30th 2010!
And that brings us back to the Mighty Deerstalker (http://www.themightydeerstalker.com/). For the uninitiated this is a cross country event organised by the same gang doing the urban ‘rat-race’ events, and hosted at Traquair House, Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders. The 5km race (read 8km!) was run in the afternoon and plunged through a series of beastly obstacles including several stinking muddy bogs and a number of chilly water-obstacles – not least a culvert where the water was at least four feet deep – shiver! Vicki set the standard here and was witnessed running for the finish as the guys rolled into town for the evening 10km race (read 13km!). Vicki seemed unperturbed by the day’s challenges as we chatted at the finish line. In contrast the blood apparently drained from Tim’s face as the prospect of what lay ahead finally dawned!
The 10k kicked off just as dusk fell and involved a mad dash by several thousand outrageously dressed runners to get ahead. After crossing the stinking bogs the route led up through the trees on one side of the valley before plunging back down to Innerleithen and the dreaded water features. After navigating the town the crowds ascended a second hill via a rather daunting slope of scree – by this time the head-torches were out in force. Then over the brow of the hill the course descended through a further series of wooded obstacles before returning to the town and the final slog back to the finish. Miraculously all runners completed the course and the taste of victory was sweet (even if we didn’t actually win the race!).
Once the dust had settled, or the mud had dried, we were overjoyed to learn that between us we had raised over £2,500 from sponsorship and gift-aid. This was a fantastic boost to the Peartree IT coffers and will really help us push forward with our plans for the rest of 2010, including new projects arising from the recent 2010 Peartree IT visit to Ghana in May. So a huge thanks to Vicki, Keith and Cydz for the deerstalker and everyone else who has supported these events. We look forward to seeing you again soon! Our just giving webpage is still open for donations here http://www.justgiving.com/peartreeit.
