Get on G-MAC's Bike for Charity

Golf fans can bid in a charity auction for a custom-painted motorbike signed by Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy.

The Northern Irish trio signed the Honda Fury bike at this year’s Irish Open, held at Royal Portrush Golf Club. 

Designed by Co Antrim artist Iain Baldwin and donated by the Belfast Honda dealership, the motorbike is worth £10,000 without the value added by the artwork and signatures. 

Mr Baldwin worked 16 hours a day for eight days to finish the artwork, before the trio of Major Champions signed the bike during the tournament week. 

The online auction closes on November 29, with all proceeds going to CLIC Sargent, the designated charity of the Irish Open. 

Mr Baldwin came up with the idea after a conversation with CLIC Sargent Patron and former boxer Barry McGuigan.

“I got speaking to Barry and that inspired me,” he said. 

“Normally I would hand over cash for charity and support them that way, but as I started up my own business I decided to give up my time by custom painting the motorbike.”

Please visit the online auction here

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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.

Clarke Joins Forces with CLIC Sargent

The Darren Clarke Foundation has joined forces with The Tour Players’ Foundation, the charitable foundation of the European Tour, in support of the Official Charity of the 2012 Irish Open – CLIC Sargent.

The UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, CLIC Sargent provide clinical, practical and emotional support for young cancer patients and their families, from diagnosis onwards.

The charity will be the beneficiaries of the 2012 Irish Open Birdie Pledge that will see The Tour Players’ Foundation and the Darren Clarke Foundation each donate £10 per birdie, £20 per eagle and £50 per albatross scored during the four rounds of the Irish Open.

A European Tour event produces an average of 1500 birdies, meaning CLIC Sargent could be in line to receive over £30,000 by the end of the Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club from June 28 – July 1.

CLIC Sargent will channel all of the funds raised during the Irish Open to their Northern Ireland Homes from Home Appeal, which has a goal of providing free self-catering accommodation in Belfast within walking distance of the specialist treatment centers for more than 200 children and young people being treated for cancer in Northern Ireland each year, to alleviate both the financial and physical strain put on the children and families by the travel to and from their treatment sessions.

Reigning Open Champion Clarke said “I am delighted to team up with the Tour Players’ Foundation to support CLIC Sargent through my own Foundation at this year’s Irish Open. CLIC Sargent is an amazing charity and the work they do with young cancer patients and their families is truly inspirational.

“Hopefully we will have great scoring conditions at Portrush next month and we can raise as much money as possible through the Birdie Pledge.”

Mark Roe, Chairman of the Tour Players’ Foundation, said: “To have Darren come on board as a charity partner to the Tour Players’ Foundation at this year’s Irish Open is a huge boost to the tournament and a magnificent gesture from one of the most generous players on Tour.

“We hope that others will be inspired to follow Darren’s example and partner us both in the Birdie Pledge, helping to raise as much money as possible for this profoundly worthy cause at this year’s Irish Open.”

Barry McGuigan, CLIC Sargent Patron said; “This is a fantastic gesture from Darren Clarke and the Tour Players Foundation and I would like to thank them for their generous support. Families in Northern Ireland travel on average up to 95 miles, five times a week, to receive the cancer treatment their child needs. So we know that CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home Appeal will make a massive difference to those families.”

Clones Cyclone CLIC's for Irish Open

The European Tour and its charitable arm, the Tour Players Foundation, have announced CLIC Sargent Northern Ireland as the Official Charity of the 2012 Irish Open, which will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club from June 28 – July 1.

A leading cancer charity for children and young people and their families, CLIC Sargent NI provides clinical, practical, financial and emotional support. 

From diagnosis onwards, the charity’s aim is to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement.

The appointment is aimed at raising the profile of CLIC Sargent, as well as offering the opportunity to raise significant funds for the charity’s recently-launched ‘Homes from Home Appeal’.

The Appeal’s goal is to build Homes from Home accommodation in close proximity to Belfast’s two cancer specialist treatment centres - The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and The Belfast City and Northern Ireland Cancer Centre.

CLIC Sargent Patrons, former WBA World Featherweight boxing champion Barry McGuigan and his wife Sandra, joined Tour Players Foundation Trustees and staff from The European Tour at Wentworth Golf Club for the announcement.

McGuigan said: “CLIC Sargent research tells us that, on average, families in Northern Ireland travel 95 miles up to five times a week to access the cancer treatment their child needs. The Homes from Home will ease that financial and emotional burden and most importantly, will create a place for families to stay together away from the hospital.

“We are proud to be associated with such an important event for Northern Ireland and we hope the generous public will get behind our campaign to raise much-needed funds for two Homes from Home.”

Jonathan Orr, Tour Players Foundation Trustee, said: “CLIC Sargent was chosen by the Irish Open and Tour Players Foundation due to its great reputation for the support it offers children with cancer and their families. The Homes from Home Appeal allows the Irish Open to leave a lasting legacy in Northern Ireland.”

Innovative fundraising initiatives for CLIC Sargent will take place in the run up to and during the week of the Irish Open, which takes place in Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 60 years.