Shannon Jets Basketball Club is to receive €5,000 funding under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative launched last September by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.
Open to sports clubs across the 26-counties, irrespective of sporting discipline, size, membership, age, cultural appeal or gender, the initiative saw a fund of €130,000 being made available by Valero for distribution in equal amounts of €5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.
Congratulating the club on its success, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited said, “A feature evident in almost all applications was the pressure felt by clubs in the current circumstances to expand their role within their local communities with increased membership demands and the need for extra equipment and improved facilities.”
“The purpose of our initiative is to help clubs to overcome these obstacles so that they can continue to remain active and at the very heart of their local communities. This is why we believe our initiative has been so warmly welcomed by sports clubs nationwide in its launch year,” he added.
Shannon Jets Basketball Club – one of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme – was founded in 2014. Describing itself as ‘an all-inclusive club’ that welcomes boys, girls and people with disabilities, it fields girls and boys teams in the under- 12, under-14 and under-16 categories. Last year, it welcomed over 20 new players ranging in age from 5 to 12 years.
The EUR5,000 awarded to it under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative will go towards funding the purchase of basketballs, portable baskets for outdoor and indoor use, bibs, an electronic scoreboard and speed, agility and quickness training equipment.
Overseeing the adjudication process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, acclaimed broadcaster and former Irish rugby international, Donnacha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he praised Shannon Jets for being “an inclusive club which is welcoming to all and has a clear vision of what they need in order to progress”.