7 April 2010

Charity cricket challenge is a marathon effort

Photo opportunities:

10.30am on Sunday, April 11th at Riverside hockey pitches. Members of Dundee University Cricket Club will be preparing for a 24-hour cricket marathon in aid of charity.

11am on Monday, April 12th. The club will be completing the charity challenge.

Neither rain nor bad light will be allowed to stop play when a group of fundraising students from the University of Dundee embark upon a 24-hour hour cricket marathon this weekend.

Dundee University Cricket Club will take up the ambitious challenge, in aid of Dundee Disabled Children’s Association and club funds, at the University’s Riverside hockey pitches from 11am on Sunday, April 11th until 11am the following day.

The challenge will see members of the club playing eight other sides (including local teams and teams from other universities), in three-hour matches, spanning the entire 24 hour period. The matches will not be the only attraction as various stalls, competitions and events for the whole family will be taking place throughout the day.

Cricket club social secretary Jonathan Tanner explained that he came up with the idea for the 24 hour charity challenge when looking around for ideas online.

'I saw that the Cricket Club had done this once before, in 2005 before I came to University and it seemed like a brilliant way of raising money for ourselves as well as doing something for charity,' he said.

'I’m sure it will be a lot of fun. The organisers of the 2005 event had supported the Dundee Disabled Children’s Association, and we decided to do the same because it’s such a good cause.

'It’s not just about cricket because there will be a lot of other stuff going on. Everyone has been really supportive and helpful and hopefully they’ll have a great time if they come along, at any time of the day!'

Jonathan (21), a fourth year Politics student originally from Aberdeenshire, explained that members of the University Cricket Club are currently collecting personal sponsorship money from family, friends and colleagues. The teams that the University side will face will each donate £70 each to the cause. All money raised before and during the event will be split between the club and the charity on a 50/50 basis.

Dundee Disabled Children’s Association provides recreational facilities for children and young people from the Dundee area with various disabilities. Its activities currently include evening youth clubs, residential holidays and activities in the summertime, and various outings and parties throughout the year.

More information is available by contacting Jonathan on j.tanner@dundee.ac.uk or 07816 444768.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07852 953277