Aldi Community Games prepares to welcome 7,000 children
52nd year of event that has seen more than 5 million participants over the decades.
Print21 May 2019
The official countdown has begun ahead of the 2019 Aldi Community Games National Festivals. The first of the two festivals will take place on 25-26 May at the University of Limerick. The event was launched by Limerick hurlers Tom Morrissey and Sean Finn, athlete Sarah Lavin and former Munster Rugby star Ronan O’Mahony.
Speaking at the launch, Tom Morrissey said his own memories of Community Games are nothing but happy ones.
“I remember trying such a range of different sports throughout my years at the games,” he said, “including running, hurling, gaelic football and soccer. Being involved in those teams really meant a lot to me as you made great friends and memories with the other kids in the local area.”
Aldi Community Games aims to encourage and introduce young people to a love of sport and culture. The focus is on participation rather than winning. More than 175,000 children across 600 communities are taking part or have already taken part in over 200 scheduled regional events supported by 20,000 volunteers. They will be assisted by some 300 volunteers.
The Community Games was first held 52 years ago. In that time more than 5 million children have participated in Community Games, including many of Ireland’s celebrities, sporting heroes and world-famous actors.
Speaking at the launch of the Aldi Community Games National Festivals, John Curtin, group buying director, Aldi Ireland, said the retailer is very proud to be celebrating its third year working in partnership with Community Games. “Two years ago,” he said, “we set out to give more and more children and communities the opportunity to participate in Community Games, introducing them to the excitement of sport and laying the early seeds for a healthy lifestyle.”
Progress since then has been “phenomenal”, with 177,150 children from over 600 local communities taking part in 2018.
“The active lifestyle message that Community Games promotes to children is a vision Aldi shares,” Curtin added. “We have made fresh, healthy food choices more accessible and affordable to Irish families, and in working in partnership with sports and youth organisations like Community Games, Foróige and the IRFU, we are helping to promote active lifestyle choices to children too.”
To learn more, visit www.aldicommunitygames.ie.
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