More than 1,000 guests, including stars from the world of sport such as IBF welterweight champion, Kell Brook, and professional mountain biker, Steve Peat, are expected to attend Sheffield’s Celebration of Sport.
The inaugural Olympic Legacy Park event, will take place in the centre of the Indoor Athletics Arena at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield on Wednesday 5 October.
This will be the first time a gala dinner has been hosted on the same track where Olympians such as Jessica Ennis-Hill currently train for Rio.
The red carpet event will raise money for The Children’s Hospital Charity and SportsAid Yorkshire and Humberside. It will be hosted by BBC Look North’s Harry Gration.
Masters champion, Danny Willett, European Tour golfer, Matt Fitzpatrick, England’s best batsman, Joe Root, Leicester City striker, Jamie Vardy, England and Tottenham Hotspur right back, Kyle Walker, world welterweight boxing champion, Kell Brook, Olympic heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis-Hill, and world squash champion, Nick Matthew are all born and bred in Sheffield.
Six grassroots sports awards for individuals, groups or teams in the Sheffield City Region will be presented on the evening. The awards are:
· Sports Club of the Year
· Sports Woman of the Year
· Sports Man of the Year
· Future Star
· Unsung Hero
· Overcoming Adversity
Sheffield’s Celebration of Sport is being organised by the Olympic Legacy Park, which is set to become an internationally recognised centre for health, wellbeing and innovation. The event is being supported by SIV, The Star and HR Media.
Richard Caborn, project lead for the Olympic Legacy Park, said: “We are hugely excited about the launch of the first event of its kind celebrating the success of our city’s sports men and women, which has culminated in one of the best ever years for Sheffield sport in 2016.
“From Jamie Vardy helping Leicester to become Premier League champions to Danny Willett winning the Masters, it has been an incredible year so far for Sheffield sport and this event is all about recognising this success.
“It will also be a chance to put the spotlight on up and coming athletes and teams who will be flying the flag for Sheffield sport in the future, as well as celebrate the city’s world-class facilities.
“It’s no coincidence that this part of Yorkshire produces so many champions. In the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, we have one of the best multi-sport venues in the country which will form part of the new Olympic Legacy Park.
“When it’s fully operational in 2018, the Olympic Legacy Park will be home to a cluster of outstanding facilities for elite athletes, professional teams and the local community. It will also be home to a unique Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, supporting athletes of the future and developing innovations which help the general public to become more active.”
Steve Brailey MBE, chief executive of SIV, which operates the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, said: “This star-studded event will be a great opportunity to really celebrate Sheffield as the UK’s city of sport.
“We have such a wealth of talent across a whole range of sports and our world-class facilities, such as the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, iceSheffield and Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, have played a key part in supporting the city’s elite athletes.
“Our venues are also used by the local community and it will be fantastic to recognise the youngsters and clubs coming through at grassroots levels and honour future Sheffield sporting stars at the home of the city’s current Olympic and world champions.”
David Vernon-Edwards, director of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are delighted to be part of such a fantastic event. There really is so much sporting talent in this city so it’s brilliant that we can shine a light on that legacy – and at such an amazing venue! Physical activity often plays a huge role in the recovery of our patients. As a charity we have funded a gym for the Cystic Fibrosis Unit and we are currently fundraising for new equipment for our physiotherapy team. The money raised through this event will make such a difference for the hundreds of thousands of patients who come for treatment at our hospital each year.”
2016 marks the 40th anniversary of SportsAid Yorkshire and Humberside, which nationally has the Duchess of Cambridge as its patron. Notable alumni, which have been helped by the charity include, Tanni Grey-Thomson, Sharron Davies, Greg Rutherford, Mark Cavendish, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Christine Ohuruogu and Ellie Simmonds.
Stephanie Clark, regional fundraising and events manager for SportsAid Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “SportsAid gives financial support to young sportsmen and women throughout the UK across a variety of sports. By being involved as a business, companies can directly help leading young athletes in their community and contribute to the nation’s potential for sporting success at the same time.”
A range of sponsorship packages and gold, silver and bronze table packages are now available for the gala dinner.
Gold packages include an exclusive Champagne reception with sporting celebrities, a table with an Olympian or world-class sports star, three-course meal, wine and coffee and full page advert in souvenir programme.
Silver packages offer a drinks reception, a table with a sports star, three-course meal, wine and coffee. In the bronze packages, guests will enjoy a drinks reception, three-course meal and coffee.
Individual tickets are available for £100+vat.
To be part of the celebrations, visit http://olympiclegacypark.co.uk/sheffields-celebration-of-sport, email claire.fretwell@olympiclegacypark.co.uk or call 0114 261 9604.
