Ypres, 25 June, 2010
Eurosport Events, the promoter of the Intercontinental Rally
Challenge, and Colin McRae Vision have today announced an exciting
partnership to support charities and good causes that help young
people living close to the route of IRC events.
Colin McRae Vision was established following the accident which
claimed the lives of rally legend Colin McRae, his five-year-old son
Johnny, and two family friends in September 2007, to improve health
and education for children around the world.
Eurosport Events and Colin McRae Vision will work with organisers of
selected rounds of the IRC to identify suitable projects and
initiatives. They will also work with IRC’s partners, manufacturers
and drivers to promote the efforts of Colin McRae Vision and increase
the levels of exposure and support, with regular updates on the IRC
website (www.rally-irc.com), in the IRC newsletter and during
television coverage of IRC rounds.
Furthermore, as part of this partnership, a new trophy will be
created: the "Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy" that will be presented
to the most spectacular driver on all remaining rounds of the IRC,
starting with Sata Rallye Açores from 15-17 July. An end of season
award, the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Driver of the Year, will be handed
over at the IRC’s end of season awards ceremony.
As a result of the incredible support they have received from fans
around the world, the McRae family aims to see as much charitable
benefit generated as possible following their loss. They remain
extremely focused on ensuring Colin McRae Vision is able to raise and
distribute as much funding to good causes as possible. Colin’s widow
Alison wishes the main focus of the Vision to be in the areas of
children’s health and education.
In March, during the IRC’s inaugural visit to Argentina, Alison McRae
joined defending IRC champion Kris Meeke, who was Colin McRae’s
protégé and is now an ambassador of Colin McRae Vision, to present a
cheque for 74,000 Argentine Pesos (about 14,100 Euros) to the
Municipal Hospital in Carlos Paz, where the IRC-counting Rally
Argentina was based. The money was used to buy a new X-ray machine to
negate the need for patients requiring X-rays to be transferred to
Cordoba, some 35 kilometres away.
Marcello Lotti, General Manager of the IRC, said: "We are very proud
and delighted to be supporting the work of Colin McRae Vision, a very
worthwhile charity. While Colin McRae never competed in the IRC, he
was an iconic name whose spectacular driving style and spirit lives on
in many of the drivers currently competing in our series. Colin was a
man of the people who captured the imagination of rally fans around
the world. We look forward to collaborating on a variety of
initiatives during the remainder of the current IRC season and
beyond."
Colin McRae’s father Jim McRae added: "After Rally Argentina it
quickly became apparent Eurosport Events represented the type of
forward thinking organisation that the Vision was looking to partner
with. We are currently in dialogue with two further IRC events, Barum
Czech Rally Zlín and RACMSA Rally of Scotland, to identify suitable
projects for the Vision to support and we hope that these will
represent the first of many future donations that we will be able to
facilitate through our association with the IRC. With the assistance
of the promoters, event organisers, teams and rally fans around the
world, we feel we can make a genuine difference to some of the local
communities that welcome the IRC family each year."