Star-studded event for MND campaigner

The event, which takes place on Thursday, June 21, is being held Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.

The “Gordon’s Fightback Dinner”, a tribute to the inspirational Gordon Aikman, will see a host of celebrities come together in the fight against Motor Neurone Disease, raising money for charity MND Scotland.

The event will begin with a sparkling drinks reception, followed by a decadent three course meal and will include a live performance from Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross. The auction will be announced by Scottish Rugby legends Doddie Weir and Scott Hastings, with a host of items up for grabs.

Ricky Ross, lead singer of Deacon Blue, will be providing musical entertainment on the night.

He performed at Gordon and Joe Pike’s wedding in March 2015 and wrote a song about Gordon, “A Gordon for Me”, in 2017.

He said “I’m delighted to be involved in this special evening to commemorate Gordon and everything he did in the fight against MND.

“I knew Gordon personally and his strength and passion to change the future for others affected by MND was immense. This night is going to be an epic tribute to him and everything raised will go to MND Scotland, a fantastic charity supporting people with the illness and helping to find a cure.”

Doddie Weir said: “Gordon’s attitude and response to his diagnosis with MND was inspirational. He did so much to raise awareness of this terrible disease and had a really positive impact on the lives of fellow sufferers. I hope to continue the fightback.”

The night will also see the “Fightback Spirit” award presented to recognise someone’s inspirational contribution to the fightback against MND.

Lawrence Cowan, chairman of MND Scotland and a close friend of Gordon Aikman’s, said: “It’s going to be an inspirational night; a chance to remember a true hero and come together to beat MND.”

Tickets for the evening are £100 each or £1,000 for a table of ten, and are available from the MND Scotland website at www.mndscotland.org.uk.