Raising vital funds for Sligo Rovers
THE annual draw is Sligo Rovers’ biggest fundraiser every year. Raising in the region of € 50,000-€ 55,000 on an annual basis, the draw has become crucial to Rovers’ finances each year.
Behind the scenes is a team of Rovers fans who put their heads together each year to run the draw. Mark Cummins is one of the main faces behind the draw. Mr. Cummins got involved in 2007. His father was once Chairman of the club, so Rovers is in his blood.
“The Annual Draw existed before I became involved but I just tried to expand it and expand the spread of people who were involved. We aim for € 50- 55,000 a year,” he told The Sligo Champion. The draw is renowned for being well run. But for it to run smoothly, a big team is needed to undertake a large amount of work for an intense couple of months.
“It’s to get people who are comfortable selling lotto tickets. Each year we print around 8,000 tickets and we spread them around as many people as we can. We have people who take 20/ 30 books. There would then be a crew of around ten people who go door to door selling tickets and we co- ordinate that to make sure that no houses are visited twice.
“So we do that for about two months, that’s 2/ 3 nights a week and that might take two or three hours a night so we have to co- ordinate that. So then we tally it all up and make arrangements with the club for lodging it and all of that,” he added.
Cummins knows that while it’s hard work, it’s well worth it in the end.
“This is a major fundraiser for the club. It doesn’t go on all year, it’s an intense project for two or three months. And it raises about € 50,000 for the club. It coincides with the mid season break when money is tight.
“I do enjoy being involved. It’s good, there’s always a bit of craic too. We have a good team and there’s a good buzz when you’re putting yourself under pressure to do better each year.”
Michael Clancy’s face is one of the first you will see as you come through the turnstiles on a Saturday evening. “I always gave a hand out with the half- time raffle. Vincent Nally was my boss in Brooks Hanley’s and he asked me to get involved with the 500 Club so in 2005/ 06 I did. We brought it up to about 500 members,” he told The Sligo Champion.
Michael is involved with the half- time raffle, the 500 Club, the annual draw and most bits of fundraising the club does. “I’ve always been interested in the diaspora and we have about 30 people abroad who pay into the 500 Club. I keep in touch with them so that they feel like more than just someone who is throwing money at the club. I use the unofficial forum to promote things like the 500 Club and the annual draw and it does work.
“For the summer draw then, Mark Cummins gives me 50 books to sell. Mark is a great leader and he does a great job. So we’ll go out around the town and go door to door selling tickets. I do it for the love of the club really. We’ll be knocking on doors three nights a week, as the draw gets closer it will be four nights a week”, he added.
It’s tough to switch off, and Michael even checks the PayPal account of the 500 Club every morning in case money comes in and needs to be transferred to the club. He does it all, because this is his club.
“I do it ‘ cause I love the club. You’re brought up with it and it gets into your blood. It’s something we have and we’re lucky to have. It’s phenomenal what we’ve done as club. We don’t realise how important the club is to the community. Sligo Rovers will stress you out - but where would I go every second Saturday if I didn’t have Rovers?”