Roscommon Herald, 21st November 2007

THE GOAL Mile, a sponsored walk, run or crawl to be held on Christmas Day at The Square, Roscommon, is now into its fourth year. For many people from Roscommon town it is fast becoming an important part of their Christmas Day. Over EUR 10,000 has been raised in the three Roscommon town GOAL miles to date. According to the manager of GOAL West of Ireland, Ronan Scully and GOAL Mile organiser in Roscommon town Seamus Duke, "the GOAL Mile is more than just another sponsored walk off run. This is an event for everyone who cares about the plight of vulnerable people in the developing world," they said.

All that is involved in The GOAL Mile is that people get sponsorship cards from Seamus Duke and his committee or from the GOAL office, get people to sponsor them, turn up on Christmas Day at the Square at 1.15 p.m., hand in their sponsorship cards and money and run, walk or crawl for the requisite mile. Or you can just turn up on the day and make a donation to GOAL.

Ronan and Seamus are hoping that the GOAL Christmas Day Mile will attract many of Roscommon's sporting heroes and heroines out 1 on to the track along with ordinary members of the public, community leaders TDs, Senators and councillors as was the case in former years. This year's walk will be led by Roscommon senior hurling team manager David McConn and by the captain of the Roscommon senior hurling team Mervyn Connaughton and by local members of the successful Roscommon senior hurling team of 2007.

"We are hoping that as many people as possible will make the effort to take part in the GOAL Mile," said Seamus Duke. "Christmas Day is a time when people think about the less fortunate people in the world. The Mile is an opportunity to do a little more than think about them. It is also a sociable way of clearing the head and settling the system for the Christmas dinner."

If you want to take part please contact the GOAL office or just turn up at the event on Christmas Day, December 25th at 1.15 p.m.. If you have any hoarded coins that you want to get rid of, why not bring them along and support GOAL with its work of helping the poorest of the poor in the developing world.

There will be an official launch of the Roscommon town GOAL Mile in early December.

Sponsorship cards can be obtained by calling the GOAL office at (091)587901 or contacting Seamus Duke on 086-8335380.