Everest and Beyond; Slane Castle Car Run & Tour

[TeenaG]

Ok lads and lasses I need your help.

A vintage and specialty car run from Dublin's fabulous Phoenix Park to the beautiful Slane Castle Estate... how much do you think folks would pay to participate (as a pre-Everest fund-raiser for the Hope Foundation)?

Free tour of the Castle - with Lord Henry Mountcharles' inside info on the castle's 'rocking past'. Fabulous prizes for the best picnic hamper brought along on the day, for best turned out car, and best turned out driver!

Date: Sunday August 29th

For those of you who haven't already been with me on my journey.... I've recovered from illness and lost 10 stone in the past year and I'm heading off..in thanks..to Everest Base Camp in October to raise funds for the Hope Foundation. It's a fabulous Irish charity that brings life and hope to street kids in Calcutta, who have little of one and none of the other. I've been busy trying to get the body together for months and now I'm turning my hand to fundraising. I'm a complete novice at this, so I need all the advice and help I can get. This is my first event, and hopefully it will be a great day.

[TeenaG]

Sorry I've been so quiet lately, I've been flying around trying to train to climb a mountain, while learning to become and event organiser, and hold down a full time job!

But ....I'VE DONE IT...

After losing over 10 stone, I've passed the fitness test for the Hope Expedition to Everest Base Camp in October.

Me, myself and I, are heading off on September 30th to spend 3 weeks climbing to Base Camp, and maybe even beyond.. to raise money for street kids in Calcutta.

Here is the moment I clambered out of Curved Gully - a rocky 'chimney' on the final approach to the summit of Carrauntoohil on Saturday - at 3,400 feet - Ireland's highest mountain.

gully2.jpg

A few hours later - in the dark, after being pulled from our tents at 2am - myself and the rest of the Everest Team set off for 2,800 feet on a neighbouring 'peak in the Reeks'...

dark4.jpg

and here's the moment where the dawn broke across the summit making it all worthwhile...

dawn 7.jpg

Now lads and lassies... the next bit of the challenge begins. This week sees me running around putting the final touches to my FUNDRAISING - which is where you guys come in..

This week I'll post pre-registration details for a fabulous 'Cars at the Castle' event at Slane on August 29th. MX5's, Porsche, Beetles, Vintage... all the lovelies are invited to meet up at the Phoenix Park in the morning, driving to Slane Castle for a personal tour, with amazing prizes for best picnic hamper brought along on the day, best turned out car and best turned out driver. There's also a spot-prize draw for everyone who signs up - and we'll have a band and some other goodies on the day.

There will be a small fee of €20 euro per car - and I promise no bucket shaking on the day (although I'll have sponsor cards in the boot if anyone is willing to take one!).. By the nature of the event and the venue, it's going to be a pretty exclusive affair as numbers will be limited, so getting registered quickly is the key.

I'll have the registration details here in the next day or two. I'll also be posting links to my personal blog, and to the Hope Foundation website, where generous souls can donate on my page. The cash all goes directly to the Hope Foundation and towards the building of a new girls' home in Calcutta.

Thanks in advance for all your help, and all the 'behind the scenes assistance' from the lads and lassies here on this site. I'm soooo looking forward to meeting up on the 29th... xx

[Ivan]

well done Teena, looking forward to the event.

[CashelMX5]

Great stuff Teena - its a long way from the hike on Knockmealdown on the weekend of the Cashel run and an overnight on Carrauntoohil. All on the Peaks hike will be very impressed with your progress.

Best of luck with the fund-raiser on the 29th. and here's hoping you get a big turnout.

[fabfiveferg]

Amazing work Teena. Well done to you lady.

Will do what I can to be there

[leamyj]

Kildare play Down that day, plus it's the day after our 25th anniversary party..might just be a good cobweb clearing exercise...will do my best to be there too, I assume you'll accept last-minute entrants Teena??

John

[TeenaG]

Thanks for all the support... couldn't do this without my buddies... So looking forward to the next few weeks, it's going to be a blast!

[shenab]

Hey girl .. signed up today .. really looking forward to this.

Best of luck with the rest of the training!

[Medic5]

Signed up

[TeenaG]

YAY... all my buddies are signing up, very exciting... It's going to be a blast and I'm so looking forward to seeing you all.

Slane Castle, Henry and his son Alex are being brilliant, they're organising a great band for me, I've been listening to them and their fab, a real fusion of rock and brass, and they're young, they're great.

The prizes coming in are amazing... like a suite for 2 in the Clarion Hotel and Spa..

There's a whiskey tasting for passengers ... 'cos Slane is launching a new signature whiskey. I'm telling you - Slane will Rock on the 29th!

I put up a seperate Cars at the Castle stream with the link - but as soon as I get a minute, I'll copy the link to this stream too.

Onwards and upwards everyone...

[johnv]

signed up looking forward to it

[franksm]

Me signed up too. Can't wait...