Big REMF announcement. £30,000 donation to Seagulls Specials to mark 10th anniversary

[Uncle Spielberg]

Tony is not on line until later today but I am sure he will be posting later.

 

[Mendoza]

Tony is not on line until later today but I am sure he will be posting later.

Woodingdean Gull for those that dont know who Tony is

 

[tottenhamseagull]

A CHARITY set up in memory of a Brighton & Hove Albion fan who died tragically during the 9/11 attack on New York has donated £30,000 to football project which helps disabled youngsters to mark the tenth anniversary of the atrocity.

Lifelong seagull Robert Eaton was working in the World Trade Centre when the terrorist planes struck ten years ago this month and friends and fellow Albion fans have been raising cash in his name ever since.

The Robert Eaton Memorial Fund (REMF) has collected more than £100,000 and announced this week that it will commemorate Mr Eaton's death by funding a brand new mini bus for the Seagulls Specials project with what is the charity's largest single donation to date.

Other projects which have already benefited from the REMF include football schemes in Mali, Burkino Fasa, South Africa, Cambodia and Vietnam including a charity which helps young HIV victims and others orphaned by civil war.

And in Mr Eaton's adopted home of Queens the charity has helped provide equipment for Los Peladitos, a football club from a deprived area of the New York borough, providing coaching to 230 Hispanic children aged from five to 16. Cash from the REMF funded a full kit for each player and 150 footballs as part of a three-year sponsorship package.

Since that initial donation to Los Peladitos, the charity has paid for kit for nine junior teams from Sussex, as well as four youth team kits for Wickham Wanderers in Croydon in recognition of the part Crystal Palace fans have played in making the REMF such a success.

Each year supporters of Brighton & Hove Albion face off against a team from rivals Crystal Palace - with proceeds going to the good causes ongoing work and a host of famous names have taken part to help raise funds, including Brighton's greatest goal scorer Peter Ward, former Brighton boss Peter Taylor and Mr Eaton's favourite player, Ricky Marlowe, who travels down from Scotland every year to take part.

Elsewhere there have been sponsored cycles, quiz nights, pool and darts competitions, marathon runs and an annual golf day.

The REMF was also named Sussex Charity of the Year by The Argus newspaper in 2009 after being previously shortlisted four times, and a Brighton shirt bearing Mr Eaton's name on the back now hangs in pride of place in a Manhattan sports bar.

The charity's chairman, Gareth Glover, said, "We are delighted to help and support the Seagulls Specials for the tenth anniversary.

"Everyone who has helped or donated to the fund in Brighton, Croydon and elsewhere in the last ten years can be very proud of their achievements and we all hope that Robert will be looking down and realise all the good that has been done in his name since that terrible day."

The 16-seater mini bus will be presented to the Seagulls Specials later this year once it has been converted to the required specification and the REMF logo has been added to the side.

Great work -

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Woodingdean Gull for those that dont know who Tony is

Yes, sorry.

 

[severnside gull]

Brilliant.........................hope you guys continue to get the support you deserve through the next decade

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Marvellous. Big well done. Yet another reason to be so proud of supporting BHAFC. Hats off to you all

 

[matt]

(and to the Palace fans who have contributed along the way too )

 

[The Oldman]

Excellent, excellent news. Congratulations to everyone. I do hope this will give Mr & Mrs Eaton some comfort as we approach the 10th anniversary of that awful day.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Fantastic stuff! Well done to all concerned.

 

[Bwian]

I hope the NYC Media has been made aware of this.

They'll be looking for stories related to 9/11 and what could be better than this?

 

[El Presidente]

Gareth, Richie, Alan, Tony, Brett and all the others involved, your efforts are supreme, well done all of you.

 

[Frutos]

Fantastic effort all round, long may it continue.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I hope the NYC Media has been made aware of this.

They'll be looking for stories related to 9/11 and what could be better than this?

I have been in touch with a few papers, websites etc Stateside.

 

[Pat McCrotch]

Congrats to everyone involved.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

OH, and if anyone fancies adding to that AMAZING pot of charity cash, you can sponsor me for the Brighton Marathon...

http://www.justgiving.com/Richard-MorrisREMF

 

[iinsure365]

Fantastic news.

 

[Easy 10]

Phenomenal effort. You are a credit to the club and to yourselves.

Makes me even prouder to be an Albion fan, so it does.

 

[Driver8]

Well done to everyone who has helped or contributed over the years.

 

[tonymgc]

That's fantastic.

Everyone involved in the REMF take a bow

 

[seagull_special]

I got very excited when I saw they had raised £30,000 for Seagull specials, Then I realised it wasn't me! In all seriousness that is a fantastic achievement and once again I am proud to support this club and be in the same company as all the people involved in the REMF.