Westmeath footballers to host fundraising 5km events

Players from the Westmeath senior football squad will host a 5km walk/run from their respective clubs on Bank Holiday Monday, October 26, at 11am.

Fifteen clubs were represented on the county's Leinster championship winning panel and each player will co-ordinate the event from their respective club grounds with members of the community all encouraged to participate and support the team's training and holiday fund.

Speaking in advance of the 5km events, Westmeath senior football manager Mark McHugh said he wanted the occasion to be "about much more than fundraising".

"We want young boys and girls across Westmeath to be able to come down to their local club, meet the county player who came through that same club, run or walk alongside them, get a photograph and create a memory that may stay with them for years to come," McHugh said.

McHugh also stated that the event was an opportunity for this "generation of players to give something back to their own clubs" and "hopefully inspire the next generation of Westmeath footballers and hurlers".

The event has no general entry fee for participants across the county.

"Clubs can simply have a bucket or collection point available, allowing supporters to make a voluntary contribution towards the fund, whether that is €5, €10, €20 or whatever they are in a position to contribute.

"We want Monday, October 26, to become a real Westmeath GAA Community Day, bringing together county players, club players, supporters, families, volunteers and our underage members," the manager added.

The 15 venues confirmed to host 5km events are as follows: Athlone, Caulry, Moate, Tubberclair, Rosemount, Kilbeggan Shamrocks, Mullingar Shamrocks, St Malachy's (Castletown Geoghegan), Milltownpass, St Loman's Mullingar, Milltown, The Downs, Coralstown/Kinnegad, Shandonagh and Killucan.

Loughnavalley GFC will also host a 5k run at their club grounds next Monday morning at 11am.

Details on those leading the events and how to donate can be found via the following link - https://westmeathgaa.fundmajor.com/

"We would particularly encourage neighbouring clubs to consider joining together and hosting a combined event.

"The ambition is to bring our 32 football clubs and 15 hurling clubs together as one Westmeath GAA community, rather than clubs operating individually where a joint event may work better," McHugh concluded.