Over £18,000 collected for Fife youngster thanks to Kirkcaldy Loony Dookers and donations

Kirkcaldy Rugby Club members helped to raise £18,167.43 for Cooper Provan and his family. Pic: Fife Photo Agency.

Big-hearted Fifers who took part in the annual New Year’s Day dip at the waterfront in Kirkcaldy collected sponsorship and donations for the family of Cooper Provan (3) who has a unique form of dwarfism.

And after a month of gathering in the money, Jimmy Bonner, former president of Kirkcaldy Rugby Club, which organises the loony dook, revealed that an amazing £18,167.43 has been raised.

The total amount is from sponsor money from those who took part, public donations as well as a crowdfunder which was set up on the JustGiving website in support of the family’s needs.

Jimmy said: “We never thought we would raise this amount.

“The most we have ever raised is £7,300 but because the Provan family were involved this year and there was the Justgiving page, we were able to raise a lot more.

“We wanted to push it really hard this year because it was for a local wee boy. We reached £10,000 very early on so we then went for £12,000 but I never thought in my wildest dreams that we would get to £18,000.”

He says there is a clear reason why so much was collected: “It is because it is a local laddie that people can associate with, it isn’t just going to a charity. We have had the wee boy at most things at the loony dook and at the rugby club so people know who their money is going to.

“Everyone has got on board this year and made a big big effort, it is an absolutely amazing amount.”

Cooper’s mum Sammy thanked Jimmy for everything he and his wife have done: “We never in a million years expected this much to be raised and to be honest we weren’t even sure we would go ahead with it to begin with as we had always kept Cooper’s condition pretty private.

“The money raised will be used for new equipment including car seats, chairs buggies and bath equipment. It’s also a massive weight off our mind knowing we have the money there when Cooper goes through spells of being in hospital. We can’t thank everyone enough who donated and took part in the loony dook. We will be forever grateful. Cooper will now be a lot more comfortable in day-to-day life thanks to them.”