A HOST of sporting legends, including Celtic fan and victorious Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, supported a fundraising event at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday night for children and young people’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.

At the event, Celtic FC Foundation made a donation of £60,000 towards CLIC Sargent’s new Home from Home in Glasgow, which is due to open in August 2015. 

CLIC Sargent Homes from Home are vital for families who regularly travel large distances for their child to be treated for cancer. They provide free self-catering accommodation, just a short walk from the hospital, so that the family (parents or carers and siblings) can stay together at this difficult time.

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “We are delighted to make this donation and assist the magnificent work of CLIC Sargent, such a well-respected charity.

“Celtic is hugely supportive of the work which the charity carries out fighting cancer and we know the positive impact which this work has on the day-to-day lives of so many young people.

“The Home from Home concept is fantastic and allows families to be together in such difficult times.  

“We are once again pleased to partner with CLIC Sargent in trying to make a positive difference to the lives of others and we very much look forward to the opening of the new development in Glasgow. We’re sure this will be a huge success.”

Tony Hamilton, Chief Executive of Celtic FC Foundation, said: “The new Home from Home will make such a difference to the lives of the 300 children and young people who are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland every year. 

“I hope our donation to CLIC Sargent will make life just that little bit easier to manage for families going through the hardest of times.

“Celtic FC Foundation prioritises its work around Health, Equality, Learning and Poverty and we are delighted to be making a contribution for this very worthwhile initiative.”

As well as Paul McGinley, other sporting stars at the event included champion jump jockey, AP McCoy, and former Ireland rugby union star, Brian O’Driscoll, while One Direction singer, Liam Payne, was also there

The CLIC Sargent Windsor Race Night is organised annually by former racing driver and team owner Eddie Jordan, and his wife Marie, and the event on Monday night raised an incredible £600,000.

Now in its tenth year, in total, racegoers have raised over £2million to support the charity’s work providing emotional, practical, financial and clinical support to help children and young people through cancer treatment.

Eddie Jordan said: “You cannot help but be touched by the stories of the young people and children with cancer that CLIC Sargent supports, which is why I am a proud and long-term supporter of this fantastic charity.”

Lara Perkins, CLIC Sargent Social Work Assistant, said: “CLIC Sargent is almost entirely dependent on donations, so it really is due to the generosity of people like the Jordans that we’re able to be there for the people who need us. It was great to meet them in person to say thank-you.” 

The event was generously sponsored by The Reuben Foundation and Lansdowne Partners.