Perthshire politician donates £50,000 fundraised by Mount Kilimanjaro climb to local cancer treatment unit

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A local politician has donated £50,000 he fundraised by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to the cancer treatment unit at Perth Royal Infirmary.Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP, Jim Fairlie, presented the cheque to delighted staff at Cornhill Macmillan Centre last week.Last October, Mr Fairlie was joined by 21 other intrepid hikers in their epic challenge of reaching the summit of the world’s highest free-standing mountain, which is in Tanzania.The eight-day trek was in memory of the MSP’s late brother, Perth-born two-Michelin star chef Andrew Fairlie, who himself reached the African peak in 2011.Andrew sadly died in Cornhill hospice of a brain tumour in January 2019 at the age of just 55.After three days of altitude training, Jim and the group battled brutal physical demands, freezing temperatures and severe altitude sickness, due to a lack of oxygen, to reach the summit – 5895 metres above sea level.His incredible efforts raised just over £100,000 which is to be split between two causes in dedication to his brother.Cornhill Macmillan Centre in Perth has received £50,000, as will the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, which was founded by Andrew himself.The Cornhill hospice will use the funds to create a memorial space in memory of Andrew, with the cheque being handed over to The Friends of Cornhill, who will drive the project forward.Speaking after the presentation, Mr Fairlie said: “When I decided to do this climb, it was definitely a decision to emulate what Andy achieved in 2011 when he climbed Kilimanjaro raising funds for Hospitality Industry Trust, a charity he cared about immensely.“But I wanted to give something back to the fabulous people that make Cornhill the amazing place that it is, but to do it in his memory as