"Great Scott"

8^th of the 8^th 2008, D-Day for the 3 Fat Men and a Lady... Would we reach our fund raising target? Would we be fighting fit in order to attempt an Olympic distance triathlon? Just like Doc and Marty in "Back to the Future III", we had reached the "point of no return!" As Doc and Marty were trying to propel the steam train to 88 miles an hour over a cliff edge, we had one more fund raising event to reach our magical figure of 10,000 euro! Was the Deloren ever in doubt of not saving the day for Doc and Marty?! Well in true Hollywood fashion, we are seriously delighted and thankful to announce that we have conquered one massive element of this event and reached our fund raising target!

This entire experience has been a huge learning curve for all three of us. As little as four weeks ago, we had over 8000 euro to raise and neither myself nor John had taken part in a paddling competition... let alone a triathlon. The true project manager, had completed 2 sprint triathlons and was keen to share his learning’s :-) Four weeks on and two weeks from Chicago, we have experienced so many ups and downs, but ultimately great satisfaction in the sum of the achievements we have accomplished. Our experiences in Athlone and the great success of the table quiz are all well documented below. Our final fund raising event was held in Kilkea Castle Golf Club and it was major battle of the titans...

People travelled from the four corners to take part...This has very much been Wexford’s year on the football field, and the wizards were respectful of the opposition but quietly confident! The Rebels might be going through a transition period but who who write off The Peoples Republic, especially on Kildare soil?! The Lilies are never more dangerous than on their home track as they had an in-depth knowledge of the course? After Limerick’s whirlwind year last year would the Limerick lads still be competitive? The Dubs... apparently this is their year?! And the A team from the wild west openly fancied their changes! Then there were the mixed teams who put aside country/county rivalries to compete together for the greater good! Oh and there was one frustrated Kiwi who had a little difficulty transferring his tag rugby skills onto the golf course! The scene was set, the oldest continually inhabited castle in Ireland, provided the backdrop and the bag pipes added to the sense of occasion. Thankfully, the weather was absolutely perfect. Splashes of sunshine on a blue and white sky with a light breeze and not even a suggestion of rain!

The general consensus was that the course was long but fair. Water comes into play on 8 of the holes and there are 5 par Fours over 400 metres in length. The 17^th and 18^th are particularly exciting with the castle in the backdrop. Huge credit must be given to the grounds staff and the management at Kilkea for their assistance and support in helping to make this event a great success. There was a quiet confidence about the teams as the returned to the clubhouse. As the last team came off the 18^th, just after 8:30, the scoring calculations began to ascertain the winner! The wining teams and scores were as follows:

Position	Team	Captain	Score (Gross)
1st	Wexford Wizards	Colin Browne	61.0
2nd	MS	Dave Burton	63.2
3rd	EuroRoute Logistics	Tom McCarthy	64.4

Closest to the Pin: Mick Long (Wexford Wizards)

Longest Drive: Ray O’Brien (Limerick Lads)

The foundations have been set for a repeat event next year, with serious bragging rights at stake! From myself, Shane and John we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to all who gave up their Friday’s to travel to Kilkea and taking part in this fund raising event. Ultimately, as expressed by Shane during his excellent presentation speech, our goal is to generate as much money as possible for The Children’s Research and Medical Foundation. We have speedily acquired a thick skin when it comes to begging for money and we have also unearthed a few hidden talents along the way... John discovered a brand new style of open water swimming.. what this space, he will be advertising lessons very soon! Shane is an authority on the rules of a Golf Scramble and he is particularly excited about growing his own green once he gets a back garden! On a serious note, we have all been touched by the support and generosity of our colleagues, friends, family and complete strangers! We cannot express enough, our gratitude to everyone who has helped us reach our fund raising target. During the course of the last couple of months, collectively and individually, we have all hit a wall at various times, trying to reach our target. Having seen the light at the end of the tunnel, and experienced the highs and the lows we would gladly go through it all again, safe in the knowledge that every cent is helping contribute to a fantastic cause. Thank you again... And now for a little paddle, leisurely cycle and a short stroll.