FORMER Limerick hurler Tadgh Hayes from Doon has launched a new fundraising initiative for Irish Autism Action, backed by former Manchester United star Paul Scholes and Kilkenny All-Ireland champion hurler Tommy Walsh.
The initiative, Penalty for Autism, asks members of the public to take a penalty of any kind – from soccer to hockey – in any location and post it on a social media network of their choice.
Participants are then asked to text the word PENALTY to 50300 to donate €2 to Irish Autism Action (IAA), and nominate two people to do the same.
Tadgh is an employee of Wyeth Nutrition in Askeaton, and IAA is the staff charity of the year for the company and its NestléIreland site in Citywest, Co Dublin.
“When I approached the IAA with the idea, they thought it was great and decided to run with it. What we were doing just so happened to coincide with Paul and Tommy being available for the launch and we got photographs taken with them,” explained Tadgh.
He added that the penalty challenge can be as simple as two children taking shots outside the back lawn “but if somebody can get out in front of 80,000 people at Croke Park, they can do that as well”.
Ken Whelan, chief executive, IAA said: “We’re urging the public to get behind this fun initiative which will raise much needed funds for our work. IAA supports more than 50,000 people in Ireland have a diagnosis of autism and their families. Research shows that for each person diagnosed, five other lives are affected.”
100 per cent of text costs go to Irish Autism Action across most network providers.
