The FA Cup made an appearance in Havant recently as part of a
week-long football fundraising extravaganza at the headquarters of
the world-leading fire detector manufacturer, Apollo Fire Detectors
Ltd.
Organised through Apollo's sponsorship of Portsmouth Football
Club to raise money for the Australian Bushfire Appeal, the
fundraising kicked off on Thursday 26 February with Apollo's 450
employees being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have
their photo taken with the FA Cup. For a modest £1 donation, they
received a colour print of the occasion and were also entitled to
wear their Portsmouth FC colours at work for the day.
And the football-themed fundraising activities didn't stop
there. A coveted pair of tickets to the Portsmouth vs. Chelsea
Barclays Premier League match (which took place on Tuesday 3
March), plus a signed Portsmouth FC shirt, were also up for grabs
in a prize draw. To be in with a chance of winning, employees were
asked to donate good condition household items and equipment,
clothes, sheets, blankets, towels, children's toys, and books,
which will be sent to families affected by the fires in
Australia.
In addition to the donated items, a total of £246 was raised by
employees, which was rounded up by Apollo to make a grand total of
£500.
Chris Elkins, Business Operations Director at Apollo, comments:
"Charity opportunities are a very important benefit of our
sponsorship package with Portsmouth FC. On this occasion, the
popularity of the club, its kind donations and its connections with
the FA have allowed us to raise £500 for a very worthwhile cause.
It is also a charity very close to our hearts, as one of Apollo's
key customers, Ampac, is based in Australia with offices and staff
based only 60km from the devastating fires in Victoria."
Apollo Fire Detectors is Portsmouth FC's Official Fire Solutions
Partner and, since the start of the 2008/09 season, has been a
proud sponsor of Fratton Park's East (away) Stand, which is now
known as the Apollo Stand'.