Ireland

Thousands of people take part in Goal Mile this Christmas

GOAL Miles took place in Texas, Poland, and with the Defence Forces in the Golan Heights

From left to right are, Rossa Moore (10), from Sandymount, champion middle-distance runner Ciara Mageean, Saoirse Moore (7), Irish rugby international Jenny Murphy and Paul Howard (aka Ross O’Carroll-Kelly) at the launch of the 38th annual GOAL Mile, Ireland’s longest running fundraising event . Irishtown Stadium. Photograph: Damien Eagers

Wed Dec 25 2019 - 13:26

A record number of people all over the country took time out of their Christmas day to take part in Ireland’s favourite festive fundraiser, the Goal Mile, in centres across the country.

Now in its 38th year, the Goal Mile is one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running annual fundraising events.

This year new Goal Miles have been added around the country. There were also Goal Miles in Houston, Texas, in Poland, in Umea in Sweden and with the Defence Forces in the Golan Heights.

Whilst many Goal Miles take place today there will be many rolling out between now and the New Year period.

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Last year Goal reached more than 5.5 million people in need around the world. Goal’s work includes supporting those displaced by the ongoing conflict in Syria; running nutrition programmes in refugee camps in Ethiopia and providing ongoing emergency response to thousands of people affected by Cyclone Ida in Zimbabwe.

Goal CEO Siobhan Walsh today thanked everybody for going the extra mile for GOAL today: “The widespread support of the people of Ireland for the Goal Mile embodies the true spirit of Christmas. I would like to thank the thousands of people who started their Christmas day thinking of others. I am so grateful to every single person, who took the time to support the work of Goal.

“The Goal Mile is now in its 38th year and has become a special and important tradition for families and communities. People come together and connect in a very special way and it’s wonderful to witness caring in action on such a large scale.

Far from Home is the theme of our Xmas Campaign this year. I am grateful to all of the Goal workers who are far from home this Christmas caring for the millions of people who are displaced from their homelands through war, conflict, drought and extreme poverty. The Christmas Goal mile is much more than an event. It is a very powerful reminder that the people of Ireland will always go the extra mile and in doing so, help create a better world. “

All Goal Miles are listed at goalmile.org with dates and times.

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