Today, December 25, Celtic Park opened its doors as Celtic FC Foundation hosted a very special Christmas Day ‘Paradise Pit Stop’.

For many of us fortunate enough, the festive period is a time of joy, however, for those facing hardship the pressure increases and can result in overwhelming anxiety and isolation, making it a very stressful day of the year.

Thanks to an extremely generous donation from the Ellen & Ian Graham Charitable Foundation, Celtic FC Foundation were able to alleviate some of that pressure by hosting around 200 guests for a three-course Christmas dinner, entertainment and a visit from Santa!

Local DJ, Chris Matthews, volunteered his time to help make the day full of music, dancing and fun, Tony Reilly of Food Options Ltd, who supports us throughout the year, provided some festive treats and not to forget the numerous supporters who have donated children’s gifts over the past week.

Santa handed out a huge selection of toys for the kids and winter warmer packs with grocery vouchers for the adults, but the fun and surprises didn’t stop there!  Celtic Manager, Brendan Rodgers, also dropped by to add some extra magic to the day.

Celtic FC Foundation’s Chief Executive, Tony Hamilton, said: “Having chatted to so many people throughout the year at Paradise Pit Stop, we understand the pressure on household budgets and it was extremely important for us to try and make Christmas special for people who otherwise could have gone without.

“Our sincere thanks go to the Ellen & Ian Graham Charitable Foundation for the funding that made it possible to create such a special experience.

“I would also like to offer our sincere thanks to Brendan for giving up his time to come along on Christmas Day and show his real support once again for the work of the Foundation, we are very grateful for this. As always we also thank the Celtic supporters who have continued to amaze us with their generosity throughout this year’s entire Christmas Appeal.”

For more information on Celtic FC Foundation please contact [email protected] or call 0141 551 4321.