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Cameron Ward of Greenock,
is going to Holland, along with other members of the Scottish
Special Needs (SN) Judo Group, to represent Scotland in the European
Judo-for-All Championship to be held in Amsterdam in April this
year. Cameron (9 years), a member of Wemyss Bay Judo Club, sends
a big thank you ‘across the water’ to two generous groups of people
in another seaport town 3000 miles from Greenock.
Cameron's godfather,
Patrick Gillen, his uncle, emigrated from Greenock to Montreal
in Canada in 1987. Patrick and his wife Geri have a small sideline
business making Irish bread mixes. They decided to make some extra
bread mixes and sell them with the intent of sending all the money
to Cameron for his trip to Holland.
Patrick brought them
into his workplace, Poyry (Montreal) Inc , a global consulting
and engineering firm to sell to his colleagues. The response was
overwhelming, with employees buying nearly all the breads. But,
to top it off, the management of Poyry (Montreal) Inc decided
that the firm also wanted to offer a contribution to the Scottish
SN Judo Group to help with financing the trip. Through the goodwill
and generosity of Poyry (Montreal) Inc management and employees,
Cameron and the Scottish SN Group will receive over $700.
As if this wasn't enough,
Patrick went to his Montreal Celtic Supporters Club to watch a
Celtic match. He decided to take the remaining bread mixes to
sell to club members. Not only did the members buy the remaining
bread, but they voted also to send a donation to Cameron for his
trip, along with a Montreal Celtic Supporters T-shirt!
Susan Kirkpatrick, Scottish
SN Judo Group coach was stunned by the unexpected support offered
from people she has never met and who she now describes as "our
Canadian friends and supporters". Susan explained that the
Scottish SN Judo Group was established in 2005 to provide training
and competition opportunities for judo players with a special
needs (physical, sensory, learning, or indeed a complex of disabilities).
The Group meets monthly in the Palace of Arts, Bellahouston Park,
Glasgow, and organises travel to events held throughout the UK
and Europe. The Group has already been very successful and boasts
several British Champions, Special Olympics National Games medallists,
and has supported two players to the Special Olympics World Games
held recently in Shanghai, China.
Anyone interested in
our activities should contact Susan at:
Email: suzikirkpatrick@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile: 07931
670 950
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