6:00am Tuesday 24th December 2013 in News
Epic eBay fundraising journey for child's paper 'Olympic Torch' ends at Culdrose
A colourful paper Olympic torch which has raised over £34,000 arrived at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose as part of an epic fundraising marathon across Europe totalling some 21,000 miles.
Little did Logan McKerrow know what he had started when in May 2012 the five-year-old from Chard in Somerset made an Olympic Torch out of paper at school. Hearing that other Olympic enthusiasts were selling their real torches on e-Bay, he asked his mum, Kerry if he could list his paper torch on the website too. She said 'Yes' and they chose to auction the torch to support the 'Let's Hear it for Deaf Children' campaign, set up by the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity. The torch went for £21.
When Kerry told Logan how much his torch had sold for he was over the moon. Nik, the bidder who won the e-Bay auction, was inspired by Logan's generosity, and asked for 'Logan's Olympic Torch' to be re-listed and raise more money for Hearing Dogs. And the story has grown from there!
Like the Olympic Torch Relay, Logan's Torch has travelled up and down the UK on its own inspirational 18-month journey. From the Scottish Highlands to Land's End and beyond, each time the torch was bought and re-listed so its fundraising journey continued.
Just as the Olympic Games inspired a generation, 'Logan's Torch' has also captured the hearts of the nation. There has also been a sporting theme to its destinations with trips to Wimbledon Centre Court and meeting David Beckham. The Olympic Games had been a key part of its journey and it travelled to the Olympic Park, where at the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony the torch was bought by the Great Britain Deaf Women's Football Squad and taken to the 2013 Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria.
And now its epic journey is coming to a close. Sixty wonderful supporters have bought and sold this well-travelled torch. The 60th torch bearer will be taking it to RNAS Culdrose in Helston, Cornwall, where the Olympic flame first arrived in the UK back in 2012.
'What more fitting way for Logan's Torch to finish its journey,' Said Hugh Gray-Wallis, I Hub manager for RNAS Culdrose. 'My wife, Maggie is a new recipient of a Hearing Dog called Nero. Whilst waiting for her turn Hearing Dog we followed the touching story of 'Logan's Torch'. When I spotted that it was up for sale for the 60th and last time, I couldn't help but bid to make Maggie and Nero the 60th Bearers of 'Logan's Torch' and bring it back to Culdrose, was just too good to miss! 771 Naval Air Squadron have been great and allowed Maggie, Nero and the Torch get onboard the Sea King that flew the Olympic Flame from Culdrose to Land's End.'
And the torch's final resting place? Logan has a dream to give his torch to Her Majesty The Queen. So in her 61st year as Monarch, Logan will be sending his torch to The Queen to become its 61st and final torch bearer.
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