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Kick Start for Charity
By Eilish Martin, 2/25/2004 11:47:22 AM
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Football, GAA and rugby players throughout the province have been urged to break into a sweat to help raise £100,000 for the UCF through its new Kick Start initiative.
Clubs in all three sports are being asked to hold a special sponsored training session and the money raised by players will support UCFs lifesaving work in the fight against cancer.
All junior and senior clubs involved in the sports are being contacted, and senior schools and youth clubs are also being asked to take part.
Kick Start, which is supported by Lucozade Sport, was launched in Belfast City Hall at a news reception attended by several present and past stars of the sports, as well as senior officials.
The three governing bodies are sponsoring prizes for clubs and individuals who raise the most sponsorship money. The prizes range from VIP tickets for big matches to a voucher for a dream holiday.
Further information and an entry form can be obtained from development officer Sylvia Lucy at UCF headquarters, 40/42 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast BT9 6DX. She can also be contacted on 028 6638 5050 or 07789-757165.
Sylvia said: This is our first major fundraising project involving the three sports, and Im confident we will have the generous response we have always had from the people of Northern Ireland as a whole.
We will be contacting around 2,000 clubs, schools and youth clubs and Kick Start will be running until June next year.
The money raised from Kick Start will help UCF save lives from cancer. As well as ensuring that help is there for patients and their families, the initiative will support vital research to find new and better treatments for the disease.
Joyce Savage, head of appeals and marketing, said: Last year we spent £357,000 on research programmes at Queens University and the University of Ulster alone.
It is crucial for the future that this work continues. It is equally important that people who are fit and enjoying these sports should be aware that they too need to recognise the early signs and symptoms of cancer.
We hope that Kick Start will really help in creating a greater awareness of the disease.
Ashley Arnold, NI business manager for Lucozade Sport, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Ulster Cancer Foundation in raising awareness of issues affecting men's health through Kick Start.
The initiative is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and money for a superb cause through sport."
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