DAFA fundraisers a resounding success
Two fantastic fundraising days last week heightened awareness and raised critical funds for Zambia
Last week was an incredibly busy one for us with two major events in our calendar taking place in Ireland at the Bellewstown Racetrack and the nearby County Lough Golf Course in Baltray.
On Tuesday 27th, September the Barney Curley Golf Classic took place at Baltray, one of Ireland’s premier links. Thirty six teams took part in the event including legends of the track and field such as jockey Frankie Dettori, former Irish rugby union player Rory Best, and GAA stars.
Following a hotly contested afternoon of golf, an auction in the evening saw some of Frankie Dettori’s boots finding excited new owners, but the star of the show was Frankie’s own framed and signed photographs of the Magnificent Seven, one of the greatest days in racing history, when Frankie rode all seven winners at Ascot in 1996.
The day was a huge success and we’re so indebted to all those who assisted, supported, sponsored and donated.
The following day, the 26th anniversary of his coup at Ascot, saw Frankie lead his team to victory in the inaugural Barney Curley Charity Cup at Bellewstown. Following a hugely successful Barney Curley raceday at Bellewstown last year, which raised over €100,000 for Direct Aid for Africa (DAFA), it’s hoped the fixture will become an annual event.
On the day, Frankie Dettori took the role of managing the away team, with champion trainer Willie Mullins managing the home team. With two races to compete over and seven riders on each team, it all came down to the points.
The first race, the one-mile Barney Curley Charity Cup Handicap, was won by Fastman for John McConnell and Declan McDonogh. Mullins won over Dettori again in the second race, with Bring Us Paradise for Luke Comer and young rider Dylan Browne McMonagle winning and McConnell’s Wild Shot runner up.
Despite two wins for Mullins, once the points had been calculated, it was Dettori’s team with 71 points to Mullins’ 64. Team Dettori were declared the cup winners - a fitting tribute to the legendary jockey on the such an anniversary.
In the middle of the race card, Barney’s framed silks were auctioned for a fantastic €2,200. With great interest in these items and generous donations on the day, we’ve raised €70,000 for our projects in Zambia.
We've been blown away by all the support, donations and good wishes this year and would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Frankie and Willie, all our jockeys, golf players, sponsors and supporters. We simply couldn’t do it without you.
Every penny will go to our hospitals and schools in Zambia where it will make such an enormous difference to the lives of local people. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!