Tartan Army set challenge to go the extra mile in Edinburgh and Glasgow for Sport Relief
This year’s flagship Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Miles in Edinburgh and Glasgow are set to be awash with tartan as the Tartan Army set themselves the challenge of doing 500 Miles (and 500 more!) for Sport Relief.
Bringing to life the lyrics of the famous Proclaimers song, “500 Miles”, the fan organisation is aiming to recruit 500 members to take part in the Glasgow Mile and 500 more for the Edinburgh Mile on 16th March. The Tartan-clad Milers will be raising lots of cash for Sport Relief as they go.
Don Lawson from the Tartan Army website said: “We are really hoping to add to the atmosphere at the Edinburgh and Glasgow Miles and would encourage everyone to log on to sportrelief.com and sign up to join us there on the day. It should be a fantastic event and, with us all getting sponsored, will raise lots of cash for this brilliant cause.”
Launching this fabulous effort on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Off the Ball” programme, presenter Stuart Cosgrove said: “The Tartan Army has pledged to march 500 miles and 500 more, all you have to do is support them with a donation, or better still do a mile with them.”
Pictured with “the two most petty and ill-informed football presenters on earth”, is Gordon Johnstone and family. He was famously photographed kissing a Swedish policewoman in Euro 92. Gordon said: “The Tartan Army love to march, and have done so all over the world, but this will be a first – we’ve never marched in our own cities.” He added: “We realise that the 16th is the same day as the CIS Insurance Cup final, but we hope that Rangers and Dundee Utd fans can join us for the 12.30pm wave at Glasgow Green, then head to Hampden for the game.”
His wife, Carol-Anne, said “It will be good fun, and a great family day out. My daughter Alana is really looking forward to it”.
Alana summed it all up by saying, “Please walk 500 miles for Sport Relief”.
People can register to take part in the Edinburgh and Glasgow flagship Sainsbury's Sport Relief Miles on 16th March at sportrelief.com. There will also be locally organised Mile events across the nation from RAF Kinloss to the Isle of Arran and from Ayr to Aberdeen.
Glasgow Green, the city’s oldest park, will once again play host to the Glasgow Mile event while Edinburgh Milers will be able enjoy fabulous views of the castle from the route in West Princes Street Gardens.
Milers can choose to do 1, 3 or 6 miles, so can select the distance that is a challenge for them and make sure they get sponsored while they do it.
Sport Relief harnesses the power and passion of sport to change lives for the better. By doing sport, having fun and raising money, everyone can do good and feel good. Comic Relief spends the money raised to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and in the world’s poorest countries. Since Sport Relief started, £2,336,610 has been spent on projects in Scotland.
People can register to take part in the Sainsbury's Sport Relief Miles at sportrelief.com. Any Tartan Army members wishing to take part should go to the Tartan Army website; www.tartanarmy.com for further details.
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For more information / pictures or to visit projects that Sport Relief cash has helped in Scotland contact:
Sharon Heard s.heard@comicrelief.com or call 0207 820 5598
Ian Lulham i.lulham@comicrelief.com or call 0207 820 6944
Notes to Editors
• Rise to the challenge for Sport Relief by doing the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 16th March. Visit www.sportrelief.com to find out more or enter by post: fill out an entry form - call 0845 605 8000 for a kit (Calls cost no more than 4p per min from BT landlines. Other operator and mobile rates may vary).
• There are 23 flagship Miles to choose from:
Belfast Custom House Square, Birmingham Centenary Square, Brighton & Hove Madeira Drive, Bristol Harbourside, Cardiff Cardiff Bay, Coventry The Whittle Arches, Edinburgh West Princes Street Gardens, Gateshead Saltwell Park, Glasgow Glasgow Green, Hull Queen Victoria Square, Ipswich Portman Road, Leeds Roundhay Park, Liverpool Waterfront, London Victoria Embankment, Manchester Albert Square, Middlesbrough Centre Square and MIMA, Milton Keynes Midsummer Boulevard, Norwich St Peters Street, Nottingham Victoria Embankment, Plymouth Plymouth Hoe, Sheffield Millennium Square, Southampton Palmerston Road, Swansea National Waterfront Museum
There will be over 200 other Mile events across the UK. Details of these can be found at www.sportrelief.com.
• To make a donation, call 08457 910 910 (calls cost no more than 4p per minute from BT landlines. Other operator and mobile rates may vary)
• Since its launch in 2002, almost £50 million has been raised through Sport Relief
• Comic Relief spends the money raised to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives both at home in the UK and across the world’s poorest countries.
• Since Sport Relief started £2,336,610 has been spent on projects in Scotland. These include ‘Venture Scotland’ which helps young adults to rebuild their lives after leaving care or experiencing domestic abuse, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health problems. The project combines challenging outdoor activities with intensive counseling to inspire a sense of achievement and determination. Sport Relief cash has also helped Glasgow-based Indepen-Dance, which offers modern dance therapy to adults with learning difficulties and Edinburgh-based Health All Round - a community project which reaches out to isolated older people. Sport Relief money is also working to deter young people from anti-social behaviour and street crime by engaging them in evening basketball sessions run by Shoot 4 Success.
• Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568