Community / Family gathering raises £1,000 for Viking Genes
A GATHERING of more than 100 descendants and spouses of the Sutherland family of Voe has raised around £1,000 for the Viking Genes project.
The family gathering, called ‘The Sutherland Doo III’, was held on 20 September at the Voe Hall.
Those attending included many direct descendants of the late Magnus Sutherland (1876-1954) and his wife Catherine Johnson (1884-1942) of Voe.
It was the third such family gathering since 2005.
The money raised will be used for the Viking Genes Shetland community screening project, which plans to offer genetic screening to 5,000 Shetlanders for up to 50 important disease-causing variants.
It would cover all major heritable conditions prevalent in Shetland, alongside some other common Scottish disease-causing variants, such as those causing cystic fibrosis and haemochromatosis.
Linda Grains, one of the organisers, said she joined the Viking Genes project in its early research days.
She said it was previously agreed that any surplus funds after the gamily event would be donated to charity and this year, they decided to support Viking Genes Shetland.
“We held a supper dance in the Voe Hall and enjoyed a great evening of conviviality with excellent music to dance to, games for the bairns, refreshments, a rolling slide show of family photos and a raffle,” Grains said.
She added: “Screening the community is a vital part of the study.
“We have already seen the benefits of the research for people we know and we have also read their remarkable stories in the media, seeing first-hand the effect it has had in their lives.
“If more people are screened it can only help further the knowledge and insights already gained and will hopefully lead to further discoveries.”
Plans for the genetic screening programme in Shetland were launched earlier this year with an aim to raise £1 million to cover its costs.
People can learn more about Viking Genes or donate via this link.
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