CLIC Collects 100K at 2012 Irish Open

Photo:European Tour

CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, will benefit to the tune of £100,000 from the record-breaking 2012 Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club last week.

All funds raised from the event will go to support CLIC Sargent Northern Ireland’s ‘Homes from Home’ appeal to help young cancer patients and their families in the form of two free self-catering houses close to the two main Belfast hospitals. At present CLIC Sargent helps more than 200 families a year in Northern Ireland.

Several initiatives during the week of the Irish Open, which drew enormous crowds to the Co. Antrim venue, resulted in the final total reaching the six figure mark.

The Tour Players Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour, and the Darren Clarke Foundation, joined forces to support CLIC Sargent NI through a Birdie Pledge in which £10 per birdie, £20 per eagle and £50 per albatross made by the players over the four rounds, raised a total of £35,620 - £17,810 from each foundation.

Spectators also played a substantial role with a £1 donation from every Official Programme and Drawsheet sold going to CLIC Sargent. Combined with other donations on the Site, the generosity of the general public contributed £30,000 the very worthy cause and thanks go to Walton Media for their assistance in this initiative.

Tournament sponsor Brewin Dolphin made a donation of £5000 while the Caddie Experience with Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey raised £6000. A further £4000 was raised from other fundraising activity in and around the venue. Due to the overwhelming success of the event, The European Tour made a significant contributing through its charitable arm, the TPF, to guarantee a grand total of £100,000.

David Park, The European Tour’s Charity Executive, said: “Everyone involved in the 2012 Irish Open can be proud of the difference their generosity will make to children who have cancer in Northern Ireland. It is wonderful to know that the Championship will leave a lasting legacy through CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home Appeal.”

Teresa Sloan, Appeal Director at CLIC Sargent said: “We are overwhelmed by the final total which will make a massive difference to our Homes from Home Appeal, and to the lives of children with cancer in Northern Ireland.

“We are very proud to have been associated with such an excellent, world class event and would like to thank the organisers as well as the many spectators for getting behind CLIC Sargent during the tournament. In particular I would like to pay tribute to The Tour Players Foundation, the charitable arm of The European Tour, and the Darren Clarke Foundation.”

On average, families in Northern Ireland have to travel 95 miles, up to five times a week to access the cancer treatment they need for their sick child. CLIC Sargent’s aim is to build two Homes from Home close to the two main Belfast hospitals to ease this financial and emotional burden on families at an already difficult time.