Get involved this weekend and help Doddie

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Rob Wainwright played numerous times with Doddie Weir for Scotland and over the years they have built up a great friendship.

In March Rob, a former British & Irish Lions back-row who earned 37 caps for his country and was skipper in some of those, was one of the people behind the ‘March of 1,000 headbands’ in Rome which aimed to raise awareness and money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

All Scotland fans who were involved on the day in the lead up to the Italy v Scotland Six Nations game will admit it was a great success and something special to be part of.

As a result Rob has upped the ante and this weekend is running the ‘Gathering of 10,000 headbands’ ahead of Scotland v South Africa.

Rob, now 53, said:  “The Lord Provost of Edinburgh [Frank Ross] has kindly closed off the Royal Mile between the Bridges for a gathering between 2 and 3pm on Saturday.

“He and Doddie will speak from the Mercat Cross at 2.30pm after which Doddie will be taken through the assembled crowd in an open Land Rover and on to BT Murrayfield.

“In Rome, we marched to the ground after gathering in Piazza del Popolo. Going through official channels this time, organising a march has been far more of a challenge in Edinburgh.

“The local council have been very helpful, but we have had to compromise on a gathering this time. So, after 3pm we will be encouraging all of you to disperse to BT Murrayfield via the many bars that are kindly supporting the event and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

“Doddie is a brilliant guy and the way he is dealing with MND and raising so much money and awareness while always being positive is the mark of the man, he really is an inspiration to us all.

“With the support of you the Scottish rugby family, we can raise well over £100,000 for MND research this coming weekend – and we can harness your massive enthusiasm to give the lads on the pitch the loudest of support as they do battle with the ‘Boks!”

The weekend of events surrounding the ‘Gathering of 10,000 headbands’

Friday evening

On the Friday evening former Scotland rugby stars Rob, Roger Baird, Iwan Tukalo, Iain Paxton, Alex Moore and Rob Wainwright, plus a few other ex-players including Doddie for a while, will be travelling round 12 of the supporting bars where headbands will be available from 6 until 11pm.

The following bars in Edinburgh are generously supporting the event:

Indigo Yard, 7 Charlotte Ln, Edinburgh EH2 4QZ will be donating £1 from each can of Genius sold.

The Abbotsford, 3-5 Rose St, Edinburgh EH2 2PR will be donating £1 for each Doddie’s Pint of either Tennants or Stewarts IPA sold.

The Guildford Arms, 1 W Register St, Edinburgh EH2 2AA will be donating £1 for each Doddie’s Pint of either Tennants or Stewarts IPA sold.

Whighams, 13 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4EL will be donating £1 for each Doddie’s Pint sold.

The Three Sisters, 139 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JS will be donating £1 from their Doddie’s Burgers Friday evening.

At the following bars a donation will be made of 50p per Doddie’s Pint of Cold Town sold:

The Huxley, 1 Rutland Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AE

The Black Bull, 12 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH2 2JU

The Queen’s Arms, 49 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EP

Ryrie’s Bar, 1 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5EY will be inviting you to make your drink a Doddie’s Pint by donating £1 to the Foundation, which they will match with a further 50p.

The following bars will be stocking Campbells Brewery’s Gunner Blonde Ale, Doddie’s Pint and a Doddie’s Dram from which £1 will be donated to the foundation:

Ryan’s Bar, 2-4 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4DBT

The Bailie Bar, 2-4 St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AL

The Cask & Barrel, 115 Broughton St, Edinburgh EH1 3RZ

Saturday

 

The following bars in Edinburgh are generously supporting the event:

At the following bars a donation will be made of 50p per Doddie’s Pint of Cold Town sold on the match day:

The Huxley, 1 Rutland Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2AE

Badger & Co., 32 Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3HT

The Black Bull, 12 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH2 2JU

The Queen’s Arms, 49 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EP

Copper Blossom, 107 George Street, Edinburgh, EH 2 3ES

The Boozy Cow, 17 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EY

Element, 110-114 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3JF

The Auld Hundred, 100 Rose Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2NN

The Fountain, 131 Dundee Street, Edinburgh, EH11 1AX

The following bars will be stocking Campbells Brewery’s Gunner Blonde Ale, Doddie’s Pint and a Doddie’s Dram from which £1 will be donated to the foundation:

The Roseburn Bar, 1 Roseburn Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5NG

Ryan’s Bar, 2-4 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4DB

The Theatre Royal Bar, 25-27 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA

Tiles Bar, 25-27 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA

The Bailie Bar, 2-4 St Stephen St, Edinburgh EH3 5AL

The Golden Rule, 30 Yeaman Pl, Edinburgh EH11 1BT

Bannermans Bar, 212 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1NQ

The Cask & Barrel, 115 Broughton St, Edinburgh EH1 3RZ

Ryrie’s Bar, 1 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 5EY will be inviting you to make your drink a Doddie’s Pint by donating £1 to the Foundation, which they will match with a further 50p.

Dunstane Houses, 4 W Coates, Edinburgh EH12 5JQ will donate £1 of the cost of a Doddie’s Dram of 12yo Highland Park

Le Di-Vin, 9 Randolph Pl, Edinburgh EH3 7TE will have a £1 donation for each Doddie’s Pint

The Three Sisters, 139 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JS will be donating £1 from their Doddie’s Burgers all day Saturday.

How to get headbands

Headbands will be on offer at the Royal Mile from 1pm Saturday and from 6 until 11pm at the Friday night bars listed.

To make a cash or text donation of £10 – or £5 for younger kids – Text DODDIE to 70191 and show to those distributing headbands to exchange one headband per text.

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