GOAL Mile

The GOAL Mile is one of GOAL's longest-running and most popular fundraisers. GOAL Miles have been held in the US in recent years, including last Christmas, and the event is becoming ever more popular each holiday season.

The top three in the Westport GOAL Mile: Patrick Connolly (blue, 6.12); James Hickok (red, 6:02) and Walker Marsh (green, 5:47)

The folks in Westport, Connecticut, held their fourth GOAL Mile recently thanks to the organising skills of 15-year-old Patrick Connolly.

Patrick’s sisters had organised the Mile in the area in previous years, but this time Patrick decided to take up the baton, rouse the local community, and follow the lead of his siblings by helping to raise as much money as possible for GOAL.

While the GOAL Mile is a long-established event in Ireland, with 107 GOAL Miles organised in villages, towns and cities all over the country last Christmas, the event is still in its infancy in the States.

However, as the Connollys have shown in recent years, a Mile is easy to organise and great fun to participate in.

2010 Westport GOAL Mile organiser Patrick Connolly (centre) with runners from Bank of Ireland

The following year the founding GOAL Mile was transferred to the University College Dublin campus at Belfield, and the flagship Mile has been held there ever since.

It has become an integral part of Christmas Day for the many participating families and individuals who want to support GOAL’s work on behalf of the poorest of the poor.  

Miles were scheduled to be held at 107 locations in Ireland and overseas over the Christmas 2010 season, and while poor weather conditions forced the cancellation of some of these events, thousands of people still took part and raised much-needed funds for GOAL.