It’s a Knockout event fun day in aid of Knockevin Special School

It’s a Knockout event fun day in aid of Knockevin Special School

6 July 2016

DUNLEATH Park is hosting a major fundraiser in aid of Knockevin Special School this weekend.

Downpatrick Boxing Academy is organising an It’s A Knockout-style event this Sunday which will feature 17 teams of 10 battling it out at the sports pitches which will be transformed into a challenging competition arena with the help of Pathway Adventure Activities.

The fundraiser aims to raise thousands of pounds for Knockevin’s Sparkle project which aims to provide to new multi-sensory rooms at its bases in Downpatrick and Dundrum. 

The school’s Parent Staff Association is hoping to raise £50,000 for the refurbishment of Downpatrick’s outdated sensory room and the creation of a new multi-sensory unit in Dundrum. The Association says the Downpatrick facility is in urgent need of refurbishment, while the new Dundrum campus — which provides a feeder facility for the Downpatrick senior school — had no sensory room at all.

Emmanuel McMenamin, who runs Downpatrick Boxing Academy, is keen to help the school where his wife is a member of staff.

Organisations taking part this weekend include the Fire and Rescue Service, Asda, Downpatrick Football Club, Celtic Bhoys FC, Downpatrick Boxing Academy, Knockevin Special School.

“The Boxing Academy is really keen to help Knockevin which does a brilliant job with special needs children. A relative of mine is a pupil at the school and my wife also works there so I have a close link with Knockevin and am really keen to help the Sparkle project,” explained Emmanuel.

“The competition promises to be a brilliant day out for competitors and spectators alike. Pathway Adventure Activities will be in charge of the various games on the day which will include archery, Zorb racing, water races, BB gun shooting, tug o’ war and Krypton Factor-like games. We will also have a 100 foot long inflatable assault course which will be one of the main attractions on the day.”

Emmanuel said the competition also features a climbing wall and bungee run, with the latter designed to see how far people can run with a huge elastic rope attached to their body.

“We hope to raise around £8,000 and while we are setting ourselves a high target I believe it is a figure we can reach. The entry cost is £600 per team [£60 per team member] and if there are people who maybe cannot get 10 of their friends together, please come down on the day as there are likely to be others in a similar position and they could form a team between them,” he continued.

A number of local businesses have helped Emmanuel by donating food and drinks and providing sponsorship and there will also be a barbecue on the day.

Emmanuel has been working alongside Newry, Mourne and Down Council to ensure all the necessary permissions are in place ahead of Sunday’s event and hopes the competition will capture the public’s imagination.

“The event promises to be a real fun day out in aid of a school which plays an important role in the community and one which I and many others cannot speak of highly enough,” he continued.

“I am really excited at what will happen in Dunleath Park this Sunday. In addition to the fun and games and barbecue there will also be a free bouncy castle for the kids and tea and coffee for the adults. We may even have a few competitions for the little ones on the day. All we need is great weather.”

Emmanuel said he is indebted to the many individuals and businesses who are providing sponsorship and food for this Sunday’s event in Dunleath Park and those who have agreed to take part.

They include Henry Russell who will be in charge of archery, John Magee Photography, Our House Promotions, McGreevy’s Butchers, Richard’s Butchers, McDonald’s Downpatrick, Poundstretcher, Hamill’s Auto Repairs, Tel’s Fitness, NI Fire and Rescue (Downpatrick), The Golden Chip, Neil O’Bank Fitness, Molloy’s, Murphy’s, Celtic Bhoys, Roisin Torney Fitness, Geoghegan Conservatories, Savage’s Bar, The Russell Bar, Newcastle Nomads, Downpatrick Boxing Academy, PSNI and Knockevin Special School.