Braveheart Dinner 2008

Supporters of the Braveheart Fund once again showed their generosity at the annual Braveheart Auction Dinner. Over £30,000 was raised at auction and with other fund raisisng initiatives and sponsorship deals nearly £40,000 will be available to help develop Scottish Cyclists in 2009.

 

This year's dinner saw the cream of world cycling in attendance. Patron of the fund and triple Olympic gold medalist Chris Hoy received a five minute standing ovation from the capacity 400 audience. Following Chris onto the stage were three legends of the sport in Hendrik Redant, Scott Sunderland and Sean Kelly. Each returning for yet another visit these guy's have contributed greatly over the year's with their donations of auction items. A new visitor to the Braveheart dinner was rising star Dan Martin, Garmin Chipotle, who got into the spirit of the fund raising by auctioning off his socks to one fan although this might have had more to do with Dan trying to impress the PR Girls.

 

Tour De France superstars are not usually found in Scotland, however this weekend saw two of the biggest names in the sport today travel to the Braveheart Dinner. Thor Hushovd travelled from his home in Norway  and expressed his support of the Braveheart Fund in it's quest to support young riders make the grade in professional cycling. In complete contrast to his sporting performances in 2008 the "last man" to be introduced to the audience was winner of 4 stages in this year's Tour De France, Mark Cavendish. Cavendish from the Isle of Man received a tremendous reception and explained to host David Harmon of his desire to win the Green Jersey in next year's Tour De France.

 

This year's dinner experienced the two extremes of emotion. First with the stunning success of Chris Hoy's Olympic success and then the emotive tribute by Caroline Macintyre, wife of Jason Macintyre, who thanked the supporters of the Braveheart Fund for their generous donations earlier this year to his memorial fund.

 

Each year the Braveheart Auction provides a lively and entertaining finale to the dinner and auction host Anthony McCrossan and auctioneer Alan Hewitt worked the audience into a frenzy of bidding culminating in the highest single bid for an auction item ever at the Braveheart Dinner. Sandy Wallace of Sandy Wallace Cycles raised his hand one more time than everyone else when he bid and won the Robert Millar Tour De France Polka Dot jersey with a final bid of £3,200.

 

The Braveheart Dinner is over for another year, however with the demand for tickets sure to be high it's never too early to secure your place at the 2009 dinner. Last Saturday in October is a date to keep free...

 

 

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