Race day for GAISCE the President's Award

Angel Beacon of Hope to be launched at Punchestown

On Sunday May 30th at Leopardstown, a race day will be held in aid of GAISCE, the President's Award.

In place of a charity auction, the committee, under the Chairmanship of Eimear Mulhern have come up with a unique idea.

A fibreglass Angel, from the Angels Beacons of Hope project, has been decorated by Co Wicklow based Lar Griffin. His inspiration for this piece came from the desire to create a Celtic equine goddess figure.

Members of the racing and breeding community, be they occasional race-goers or leading jockeys and trainers, will have the opportunity to support the project at certain feature race meetings between now and May 30th, starting at next week's Punchestown Festival.

Donors are invited to buy and sign a gold or silver feather, priced at €50 and €20 respectively, which will be applied to the angel by the artist. Anybody buying a feather will enter a draw for a prize of four tickets to the September Michael Bublé concert in the Dublin's Aviva Stadium with two rooms in the Four Seasons Hotel.

Eimear Mulhern commented:- "Fundraising for any cause requires new thinking and I really hope that the racing community will get behind the project. The names on the Angel will be a snapshot of the racing industry and its personalities for years to come."

Nollaig Fahy, Creator and Co-ordinator of Angels Beacon of Hope said: - “I gifted one of the 52 angels to the Irish racing industry because I consider them to be a beacon of hope for horse racing across the globe and I chose Gaisce to be the beneficiary of the initiative because they are a beacon of hope for 10’s of thousands of young people across the country and for the future of Ireland.”