Etihad Airways is to repeat its annual sponsorship of a local GAA club. The winning team will be decided by a panel of experts and is part of the airline’s activation strategy around its headline sponsorship of the GAA Hurling All Ireland Senior Championships.
“Raise The Bar” 2013 will enable one club to win a €10,000 sponsorship package, Etihad branded playing and training gear, coaching and mentoring from stars of sport and fundraising prizes ranging from Etihad flights to All Ireland Final tickets.
Last year’s competition was won by Na Piarsaigh from Limerick after an online public vote and input from an expert judging panel made up of Nicky English, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh and RTE host Des Cahill. All three are back again to help decide the 2013 winner.
“Etihad Airways is very proud of its association with the GAA, which is part of the fabric of Irish society,” said Dave Walsh, Etihad Airways’ General Manager Ireland speaking at the launch. “We recognise that the club is at the heart of the GAA and often the centre of the community as well. We want to help GAA clubs “Raise The Bar” and are looking forward to doing so with this year’s winner.”
“The Raise The Bar competition displays Etihad Airways commitment in engaging with our grassroots club network that ultimately produce the players we all love to watch at the highest level,” added GAA President Liam O’Neill.
Clubs can enter the competition by submitting written and video entries that show how they “Raise The Bar” and why they deserve to win the sponsorship package. It may be down to being the focal point of their community, or managing to keep the club going against the odds. Details can also be found online at etihadgaa.ie.
Hurling is doing well on the sponsorship front this year as well as on the field of play. Liberty Insurance came on board in a five year deal as Championship sponsors in Hurling and Camogie and Aer Lingus is also sponsoring a major international event as part of The Gathering in Galway in September.
The GAA and Aer Lingus are full members of the Sport for Business Community Discover the benefits of joining them today.
Sports Tourism Seminar at Croke Park (September 19th)
Sport for Business 20/20 at Ulster Bank HQ (October 8th)
The Business of Youth Sport Seminar (November 28th)
