Nikita is charity’s youngest - and biggest - fundraiser
Published: June 9, 2006
SIX-year-old Nikita Clements set a record this week and helped to free more than 60 people from the pain and misery of leprosy.
On Monday, the Bute Gardens girl cycled five miles from home to school in Cairncastle, raising £1,302 for Lepra.
She is the charity’s youngest and biggest fundraiser and so impressed them that Lepra plan to present Nikita with a goblet, to mark her achievement.
As reported previously in the Larne Times, Nikita was spurred into action when she and fellow pupils at Cairncastle Primary School learned of the plight of leprosy sufferers.
“When I heard that people had to leave their families when they were sick, I felt very sad and wanted to help them”, the P2 youngster said.
She settled on the sponsored cycle as a means of raising money and so it was that Nikita, accompanied by her mum, Joanna, set off on Monday morning.
Nikita was surprised to arrive at school to a rousing reception. She didn’t know that the principal, Sharon Hollinger, had arranged for the pupils to greet her.
Lepra representative, Carolyn Patterson, was also in the reception party. She explained that Nikita’s exemplary effort raised enough money to heal 62 leprosy sufferers, thanks to sponsors who signed up in Ballygally Shop, Owen Donnelly butchers, at the school and in response to door-to-door collections.
“It costs £21 to treat a leprosy patient and the sooner they receive treatment, the more positive the outcome, as they can be fully cured”, Carolyn explained.
She added, “I wanted to be here personally to thank Nikita for her tremendous effort. She is the youngest child who has ever undertaken a fundraising event and has raised the most money”.
Nikita is grateful to her sponsors. She said, “So many people gave so much, but there are too many for me to talk about”.
The little girl’s parents say she is a very caring and conscientious child and they are very proud of their daughter.
We can’t be sure, though, that we’ve heard the last from Nikita, who is already planning her next fundraising event, to help children in Africa.
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