Aiming to raise €25,000 for Paralympics Ireland and €5,000 for the Irish Guide Dogs for the blind, Ogier Leman will tandem cycle 60km from Dublin to Wicklow where they will scale Leinster’s highest peak, Lugnaquilla and run 15km to Macreddin Village for their annual charity challenge. The race which will involve 30 lawyers split across two competing teams will commence on Saturday 9th July at 6am outside their offices in Percy Place.
But this year the race has a twist…. In a daring show of admiration for our Irish Paralympians attending the Paralympic Games, Rio 2016 in September, the two teams will cycle and run in pairs with one person in each pair blindfolded.
Managing Partner at Ogier Leman, Larry Fenelon said: “This will be one of the most challenging races which we have embarked on so far. This is the 6th year that Ogier Leman has organised a charity challenge and in that time we will have raised over €130,000 for amazing charities. Each year the race gets a little more daring. The blindfolded element this year requires specialist training from Paralympians and visually impaired athletes alike but the team is very dedicated and it is great to see such enthusiastic participation. We really wanted to simulate the experience of our Paralympians, many of whom are visually impaired and to push ourselves to the extreme on their behalf. We are genuinely honoured to join up with such worthy charities, (Paralympics Ireland and Irish Guide Dogs for the blind), both charities give hope and a brighter future to persons who have been disabled and help them to achieve independence, dignity and to accomplish dreams which they may have not thought possible. We are really hoping our clients, individuals, local businesses and suppliers will help us, help them by sponsoring us to reach our €30,000 target.”
Liam Harbison, CEO for Paralympics Ireland said “We are overwhelmed by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by Ogier Leman. This kind of support helps us ensure that Irish Paralympic athletes train and compete at the highest level and helps our athletes to achieve their full potential on the international stage. Support like this is invaluable and played a key part in Irish success at London 2012. The €25,000 which Ogier Leman will raise will provide vital and necessary funds for a 45-strong team of athletes on the road to Rio 2016. We are truly grateful for their efforts and look forward to supporting them at the race. We want to thank Ogier Leman sincerely for taking on this enormous challenge on our behalf and for making a difference to the lives of our elite athletes who have achieved and succeeded against all the odds.”
John Burke, Corporate Partnerships Manager for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind said “It is only through the public’s generosity and the corporate social responsibility of businesses like Ogier Leman that we are able to help persons who are blind or vision impaired and families of children with autism achieve independence and mobility. 80% of our income comes from fundraising and donations from the public. The money from Ogier Leman will help us to provide a future where persons who are blind, vision impaired and disabled achieve independence and dignity through our world-class dog and ancillary services. We thank Larry and his team sincerely for their efforts and wish them the very best on the day”
For official captioned photographs from the launch, please contact Jason Clarke Photography on +353 1 660 7938 or 087 252 0782 or email info@jasonclarkephotography.ie
TO SPONSOR AND FIND OUT MORE:
Donate on https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/WildWicklowWay
For more information on Paralympics Ireland please visit http://www.paralympics.ie
For more information on Irish Guide Dogs please visit http://www.guidedogs.ie
For further information on Ogier Leman please visit http://leman.ie/about-us/
For further information, please contact Gráinne Jolley, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Ogier Leman – Tel: 01 639 3000, Mob: 086 1724003 Email: gjolley@leman.ie
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About Ogier Leman
Founded in 2007, Ogier Leman is one of the fastest growing commercial law firms in Ireland. Ogier Leman offer legal advice to business. What makes them different is the way that they do it. They rely on innovation and not tradition to ensure that clients get the advice their business needs on time and on budget. All of their lawyers are experts in their specialist fields. Their specialties include Corporate, Real Estate, Technology, Financial Services, Professional Services, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Data Protection & Cyber Risk.
Website www.leman.ie
Headquarters: 8-34 Percy Place Dublin 4, 4Ireland
About Paralympics Ireland
Paralympics Ireland is responsible for the preparation and management of the Irish team at each Paralympic Games, in addition to the development and implementation of the annual Paralympic performance plan funded by Sport Ireland. As the National Paralympic Committee of Ireland, Paralympics Ireland is also the governing body for the sports of para-athletics and para-swimming nationally.
Website http://www.paralympics.ie
About Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is Ireland’s national charity dedicated to helping persons who are blind or vision impaired and families of children with autism to achieve improved mobility and independence. Their vision is to provide a future where person where persons who are blind, vision impaired and disabled achieve independence and dignity through their world-class dog and ancillary services. The Irish Guide Dogs mission is to provide the highest quality of services in partnership with their client while planning for the future and valuing clients, volunteers and each other. The Irish Guide Dogs receive over 80% of their income through voluntary donations and fundraising through a network of volunteers across the country. It costs over €4 million to run the organisation each year.
Website http://www.irishguidedogs.ie