PERENNIAL fundraiser Michael Kirkum has hailed 2023 as "the best year to date" after handing over the donation from his latest bid to help sick children in Ayrshire.
For over a decade, Michael has been tirelessly fundraising for worthy causes across the area.
His Christmas donation drive, which is now in its 11th year, sees the kind-hearted dad collect donations to spread festive cheer to those who need it most.
The Kilwinning man collects a selection of gifts which he then donates to the children's ward at Crosshouse Hospital.
When he launched this year's appeal he hoped it would see him help his 20,000th child - and he more than met that goal when this year's batch of donations was handed over to Crosshouse staff on Friday.
Michael said that target was "smashed", with the appeal generating donations worth an outstanding £7,000 this time round.
He was boosted by a total of 750 selection boxes which were donated by people in the local community.
And several kind-hearted businesses all made big donations to help push the appeal to new heights - with The Harbourside Takeaway, Key Reservations, Poundland in Kilmarnock, KK Contracts and CJ Lang from Bank Street Autos all doing their bit.
It caps a wonderful year of fund-raising for Michael, who also handed over more than 10,000 donated Easter eggs, worth around £5,000, to the hospital in the spring.
And on top of that, he also organised a fund-raising concert in April, which raised more than £1,600 for the food larder based at the Cranberry Moss community centre in Kilwinning.
He said: "What an amazing year. I’m truly humbled by the response over the year.
"I would like to thank all those people that have given so generously, for without your donations this would not be possible so thank you very much.
"We have had £13,606 total donations for this year.
"Merry Christmas from me and the children’s ward at Crosshouse Hospital; you have put a smile on so many children's faces this year."
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