You Can Show Your GAA Skills Online In Support Of Uganda GAA Appeal

You can sign up for the ‘Kilkenny to Kampala #K2KGAAChallenge’.  

Fancy showing off your GAA skills online and raising money for a great cause at the same time?

Then sign up for the ‘Kilkenny to Kampala #K2KGAAChallenge’.  

Take a video of your best GAA skill, donate to the campaign, post your video online and challenge your friends to do the same using the hashtag #K2KGAAChallenge. 

Paul Beehan, General Manager of the 4-star Newpark Hotel which is driving forward the campaign, says: 

“The # K2KGAAChallenge is the GAA Skills version of the Ice Bucket Challenge, and we want clubs and school’s all-over the country to get involved”

The funds will help Uganda GAA to provide children with GAA equipment and meals after training.

Funds will also go towards building the first full-size GAA pitch on the African continent.

All the money raised will go towards equipment and meals after training for children in the new Kampala GAA Club in Uganda.

This week Kilkenny stars Aidan Fogarty & Aoife Prendergast along with local children kickstarted the Newpark Hotel Kilkenny to Kampala fundraiser in Nolan Park in Kilkenny, they created short videos of them demonstrate their favourite GAA skills, shared it on their social media channels and challenged their friends, families, team-mates and even rivals to do that same.

 They want you to do the same. 

The fundraiser hopes to use the power of social media to reach their fundraising target but also hopes it will create a collection of GAA skills video that can be shared with the kids in Kampala to help their training and to inspire them to learn new skills.  

The videos will make a genuine heartfelt connection between Ireland and Uganda.

The Newpark Hotel Kilkenny to Kampala fundraiser aims to raise at least €20,000 to ensure that Uganda GAA can continue to provide GAA equipment and dinner for each child after training, with proceeds also going towards securing final payment for 3 acres of land for a GAA training pitch and clubhouse on the outskirts of Kampala. 

Upon completion, this pitch will be the first full-size GAA pitch on the African continent and the highest altitude GAA pitch in the world, constructed on the banks of Lake Victoria.

The club’s long-term goal is to incorporate the great community spirit that runs through every GAA club, and to establish a sustainable Ugandan GAA Club that will nurture a love of Gaelic Games and provide a safe and healthy environment for thousands of Ugandan children long into the future.

A significant part of the clubhouse will be a kitchen where meals will be cooked for every training session, taking pressure from parents who struggle to meet school fees and putting food on the table by allowing their children time to be a child and have fun playing sports. 

Ensuring the love from Kilkenny is felt all the way in Kampala, Newpark Hotel is sponsoring two ‘GAA ambassadors’ to make the international trip and give the Ugandan kids a training blitz ahead of St Patrick’s Day and to coincide with the All-Uganda GAA Championships taking place in this March.

The two ambassadors, former Kilkenny GAA All-Star Hurler and Dancing with the Stars legend Aidan Fogarty and GAA player and Assistant Manager at Newpark Hotel’s Escape Health Club, Sinead Brennan, to go to Uganda. Promoting gender equality is a cornerstone of the Uganda’s GAA club, and having Sinead lead several training sessions, will instil confidence in the young girls that are still too shy to train with the boys. 

Commenting on the ambassadorial role Aidan Fogarty said:

 “We’re looking forward to working with this new Ugandan GAA Club to show the young players new skills, how to use the equipment, and also to give them help boost their confidence in their GAA skills.”

Current Kilkenny senior hurler/footballer Mikey Butler said:

“This is a fantastic initiative by the Newpark Hotel that will not only foster a love of the Gaelic games and Irish culture here at home but also internationally. I would encourage as many people as possible to make a video, spread the word and make a donation towards the much-needed new pitch, clubhouse and kitchen in Uganda.”

Paul Beehan, General Manager of Newpark Hotel who are driving the campaign explained why they got involved;

“We were inspired by the story of a group of youngsters living in Wakiso, near Kampala in Uganda, who had stumbled on the Irish national sports of hurling and Gaelic football through YouTube and TikTok videos and started to copy what they had seen. The passion these Ugandan children have for playing GAA is wonderful to see, but most are playing in flip-flops as they can’t afford football boots. How can you not get behind something like that and help these children out where possible. I was shocked to discover that the average yearly salary Uganda is €815, approximately the cost of 15 hurls, so proper GAA equipment is out of their reach. That’s why every euro raised will make a real difference.  The joy that these kids have found in Gaelic Games really struck a chord with us at Newpark Hotel, and we want to do what we can to ensure that they have what they need to continue playing.”

Already the Newpark team have succeeded in reaching the half way point of €10,000 through raffles and internal sponsorship, and it is hoped that by casting the net out to the wider GAA community and public at large that they can reach their overall target of €20,000.

Anyone who wants to get involved is encouraged showcase their GAA skills in a short video clip online nominate 3 people to undertake the challenge & tagging @NewparkHotel and using the hashtag #K2KGAAChallenge

To donate see here or for more, see here.