Organisers and participants agree that the Castleisland Christmas morning GOAL Mile at An Ríocht Athletic Club was the best in its two decade plus history.
One of those in total agreement is Denis Brosnan and, as event founder and organiser for every single one of those Christmas mornings – he’d know.
“So many people came up to us and expressed their delight at being able to take part and meet with neighbours and friends and mix and chat this Christmas morning,” said Denis.
Donation to Day Care Centre
“We raised €2,743.20 this year and that’s up from the €2,000 we took in last year and from that we made a €400 donation to Castleisland Day Care Centre as our local charity.
“Then after we had paid for everything we sent €1918.95 to the charity GOAL for its work with Ukrainian orphans as a result of the war with Russia.
“I think that apart from the charity aspect at all, there is a need for an event like this in the locality with so many people making it home from around the world and the GOAL Mile provides the opportunity for them to meet up.
After the Past Few Years
“The morning has an added importance now of course after what we’ve all been through over the past few years – and Pats Broderick and his famous hot ports were back in the middle of it all – just where he should be – it wouldn’t be the same without him,” said Denis.
Set up in Dublin by the late Olympian and civil servant Noel Carroll in 1982, the GOAL Mile marked its 40th anniversary on Christmas Day 2022 and its 24th outing in Castleisland.
While the social side of the annual Christmas morning GOAL Mile is greatly appreciated by communities up and down the country – like that in Castleisland – it’s the strife torn areas of the world and the much less fortunate people caught up in wars and starvation that the real differences and the most profound effects of these special mornings are felt.
Letter to Denis Brosnan
In a letter to Denis Brosnan the senior fundraising manager of GOAL, Dave Burns wrote of the organisation’s appreciation of the Castleisland effort in the overall, nationwide fundraising drive:
“Christmas is always an extremely busy time of the year and we really appreciate the effort that you and your team from ‘Castleisland Athletic Track’ put in to organising the GOAL Mile.
“We are so grateful for the income and the awareness it generates for GOAL.
The GOAL Mile celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, it’s a huge landmark for the event and one they simply would not have been possible without the incredible dedication and support we have received from organisers like you.
So we want to say a huge thank you for all of your work and for the incredible €2,743.20 raised
Your generous support allows GOAL to be able to respond quickly to humanitarian crises, working with vulnerable communities to support and help them on the road to recovery.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, GOAL teams are working hard to provide hot food, hygiene kits and generators to those in need as temperatures plummet over the winter months.
Your fundraising for the GOAL Mile makes this possible.
In east Africa another year of drought has dried up wells and destroyed crops. Millions are on the brink of starvation. But because of you GOAL can provide lifesaving food and medical care to mothers and babies suffering acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan.
So, thank you again for trusting GOAL to be there for communities in times of crisis. Without you, those living on the brink would have nowhere to turn. You are delivering life changing and life saving support where and when it is needed most,” Yours Sincerely, David Burns.
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