All-Star Grainne set for African fundraiser
MEATH All-Star footballer Grainne Nulty is one of a group of players preparing to take part in a novel event designed to raise funds for a variety of charity projects in Africa. Female footballers from clubs throughout the 32 counties will take part in the charity drive "Playing for Life" which is the brainchild of well-known TV racing pundit Tracey Piggott. It is planned that 9,500 miles will be run by footballers and from clubs as well as members of the public in each county on treadmills located close to Tesco stores. The 9,500kms is the distance between Dublin and the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Those taking part in the Meath event will seek to run 300 miles on a treadmill outside Navan Shopping Centre from Friday, 3rd October to Sunday, 5th October. Members of clubs in other counties will run the same distance. The aim is to then combine the efforts of all the runners in each of the counties to cover the 9,500km. Those taking part are invited to run a distance that suits their fitness. The ultimate goal is to raise €100 per kilometre in order to support "Playing for Life" projects in Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya. "Playing for Life" was founded by Ms Piggott following a visit to Ethiopia in 2004. Ms Piggott was determined to set up a project that would use sport as a tool to help young people in some of the world"s poorest places, since sport has always played such a huge part in her own life. The "Playing for Life" initiative aims to develop vocational training centres in the various African countries to train local people in office administration, tailoring and dressmaking and building trades with the purpose of giving them skills that are of benefit in the local community. The hope is to halt the drift from the countryside to the large cities where they will make up a large pool of unskilled labour. Nulty will be travelling to Arusha, a city in Northern Tanzania to work as a volunteer. All are welcome to take part in the Run to Africa over the weekend. Just bring your runners. The public are asked to donate generously to the cause.