Sporting Madness

A Knock-Out Event

In July/August 2007 Holmes Wholesale Services hosted the Today's Group's Sporting Madness road show - featuring special guests Barry McGuigan and Pat Jennings - at 3 of its 7 cash and carry locations.

The road shows travelled to Holmes cash and carry depots in Belfast, Lurgan and Ballymena to allow visiting customers and their families to meet their sporting heroes whilst enjoying fun sports activities and corporate hospitality. Prize draws were held throughout the day and a customer at each road show won the chance to be entered into the Today's Group's national draw for a Volkswagen Fox car.

There was great demand for autographs from special guests Barry McGuigan and Pat Jennings who mingled with the visitors and displayed an approachability and openness that endeared them further to all present. There was plenty of nostalgia as visitors swapped stories with Barry and Pat. Barry revealed a background in the grocery trade through his family's grocery store in Clones and he recalled his regular boyhood cross-border visits to Holmes Cash and Carry in Enniskillen.

The Sporting Madness road shows proved to be knock-out events and, in connection with the events, a donation of £5,000 was made by Holmes Wholesale Services and the Today's Group to support the annual varsity fixtures between Queens and University of Ulster featuring a wide range of sports - including soccer, Gaelic football, rugby, hockey, basketball, netball and athletics.

Des Simpson (Depot Manager) welcomes customers and their families to the - Sporting Madness road show at Holmes Wholesale Services, Lurgan.

Member of the North End Youth Football Club were invited along to the Ballymena Sporting Madness day. They are picture along with (L-R) Gordon Leonard, (Depot Manager), Nick Barker, (Todays Group), Pat Jennings and Michael Patterson, (Holmes Wholesale Services).

The Holmes Wholesale Services Management team with their visiting Todays Group colleagues are pictured with Barry McGuigan at the Sporting Madness road show at Holmes in Belfast. Front row: Jennifer Child and Barry McGuigan. Back row from left: Neil Donnelly, Garry Williams, Nick Barker (Todays), Ian Bryson, Geoff Thompson (Todays) and Michael Patterson.