Teams are pumped up and ready to kick off in an exciting football fun day for charity this weekend.
For one young man, this year’s ‘Play2Give’, now his third, will be something double to celebrate for Andrew Baker – if the event nets in up to £5,000, after years of hard work fundraising.
With 32 teams, around 200 keen good-spirited bunches of fun-loving footballers and crowds, hundreds will turn out for a big day out with extra special significance. It is hoped overwhelming numbers of families, men and women will descend onto Oxford City FC’s Court Place Farm ground in Marston, Oxford, on Sunday, July 5.
Amongst an action-packed football fun day, the hugely-popular event will see attractions including a children’s ride, fire engine and a play bus full of activities for kids of all ages and entertainment, a penalty shoot-out to even a stall selling attractive jewellery at affordable prices for the women and mums. Hospital Radio Cherwell will even play music and be entertaining the crowds all day. There will be an ice cream van and food and refreshments. A raffle with up to and over 20 fantastic lots including a weekend break for two will join in the action to raise vital fundraising cash, including the chance for die-hard Oxford United fans to win a 2008-09 squad signed shirt.
One of the organisers, 21-year-old Andrew, of Didcot, the founder of Play2Give, says:
All proceeds from the event which runs from 9.30am will go to the Oxford Children’s Hospital, which he has set out to raise £20,000 towards, since he first began his fundraising crusade aged 14 in 2003 while a pupil at St Birinus School. So far, thanks to an array of efforts from his old school, friends and others in the community joining in his drive, he has netted in a healthy £18,000 so far for the hospital based on the John Radcliffe Hospital site.
Teams warming up to take part in the 6 a side competition include squads from Oxford United, firemen, Thames Valley Police, Miele in Abingdon, and a team of friends, the Trotters, from Banbury. In all, a record 32 teams will compete against each other to win the ultimate prize, the Play2Give Trophy.