AINTREE 2008
AINTREE 2008 – HOW THIS TOP HORSE RACING EVENT HELPS CHARITIES
If it wasn’t for events such as Grand National at Aintree 2008 a lot of charities would have missed out on important and vital funding. Aintree 2008 raised thousands of pounds in its Charity People’s Race. Fun and a feeling of achievement, as well as entertaining thousands means that Aintree 2008 became a symbol of giving to those in our community and around the world who are less fortunate. One such lucky local recipient, Walking with Giants in Merseyside, received crucial funding from the success of their local Merseyside rider, Amanda Craven last year.
So how do charities benefit from horse racing icons like the Grand National? It is not only about the money they receive, even though in this case the Grand National at Aintree 2008 raised alot but it also gets them exposure. The Grand National is televised globally with a reported 600 million viewers worldwide and charities will be exposed to a wider audience. This should make fundraising easier for them in the long run as people would have made an emotional connection. In Merseyside alone there are a lot of charities which all need regular funding. It is always a grand feeling to give back to your local community, sometimes it is more tangible and sustainable to give back to those closest to you. That is not to say that in 2008 the UK gave huge amounts of funding to charities around the world. Our culture in the UK shows us how generous we are.
Charities have a lot of competition and their problem is always getting enough money to reach the objectives they set out to achieve each year. In that way they sit nicely with any sporting event due to the nature of competing and winning. Aintree 2008 was all about competing and team work, and that includes Ladies Day and the high fashion competition where the prize was a new car. The Merseyside with it’s awesome football teams, Liverpool and Everton, shows you the spirit in the Aintree area and the spirit around the Aintree Grand National 2008 and every other year it has been held.
The spirit of Aintree 2008 reflects a truly magnificent culture – where the values and norms are to want people to have a better life, where you can celebrate being part of the racing community, who appreciate life and what it has to offer. People watched, cheered clapped and spurred on all jockeys and their horses in the Peoples race. It may seem as if this only affects what happens on that particular horse race on that particular Grand National Day but it will have a positive impact for other charity and sporting events to partner and help raise money and awareness of those less fortunate.
So if you are going to Aintree this year, take a look back to Aintree 2008 – watch and support the Peoples horse race, take pride of what is going on around you at Aintree and the racecourse and you will have the time of your life (and make someone else’s life all the better for it!)
