A fundraising dinner, featuring a glittering array of Olympic stars, exceeded expectations by raising over £12,000 for the Sports Aid Trust, who will use the money to support future Olympic athletes. Ian Rudland, CEO of Vail Williams LLP, jointly organised the dinner with other local businessmen and the company were the main sponsor of the event.
350 people from across the Thames Valley dug deeply into their pockets to bid for a stunning collection of prizes in a silent auction followed by a ‘live’ auction. The highest bid of the night was for a once in a lifetime prize to drive the worlds fastest car – a Bugatti Veyron – with a professional racing driver at top speeds. This sold for £1,600! A signed photo montage of Usain Bolt went for £900.
The evening was organised by a group of local businessmen, the Longest Day Club, including Ian Rudland, CEO of Vail Williams LLP, leading real estate advisers. The dinner featured Roger Black MBE former 400m and 4x400m relay medallist at the Olympics in 1996 and Mike Golding OBE, one of the world’s most accomplished round the world offshore sailors. The BBC Sports commentator Paul Dickenson captured their past triumphs through emotive and witty interviews with the stars.
During the course of the evening, a young local athlete, Imogen Collins was presented with a cheque by the Chairman of the SE Sports Aid Trust, Ian Braid. Imogen is the U18 National Sprint Champion in 1,000m and 200m in kayaking and she commented: “The funding is very valuable to me to allow me to develop my career further and I am very pleased to have received a cheque. The money will be used for equipment, travel and entering competitions.”
Ian Braid also commented: “At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, eighteen of the nineteen medallists in Team GB had received Sports Aid funding at the start of their careers. Sports Aid awards are typically made to young people aged 12-18 who have the potential but not necessarily the resources to commit to a future in elite sport. The support that we can give is often crucial to these promising young athletes.”
Other Olympic athletes also attended the dinner and were interviewed by Paul Dickenson including Simone Jacobs (Olympics 1984, Relay), Sarah Winkless (Olympics 2004, rowing), Georgina Harland (World Cup finalist 2008), Kate Walsh (Olympics 2000 & 2008, hockey) and Helen Richards (Olympics 2000 & 2008, hockey).
Ian Rudland commented: “We had an excellent evening and I am delighted that the auctions raised so much money. The Olympic athletes that spoke were very moving and inspirational. Our involvement with the Sports Aid Trust, which does such valuable work in supporting young athletes, has been a fantastic experience for all of us and I am so pleased that we have been able to help the work they do.”
