The Comp

[Canada Bob]

Hello Clacher...

Following on from your comments in the other thread {about Sid's System}, I've no problem with what you have said, unlike me you haven't given the "game" away.

I guess that you can now see how easy it can be to win money on the horses, long as you become a Bookie that is. I hope the money keeps rolling in, at least you've had the nerve to give it a go.

"He who dares, wins", this time next year you could be on yer way to your first Million ;)

Anyway, speaking of such things {money}, "the cheque is in the mail" for me, so to speak. I've sold off much of my interest/involvement in the shaving cream, and After Inked etc, so the money should be in my account by Friday of this week.

Now that I'm free of the involvement in all that, you'd think I'd have the sense to talk some time out, and just walk the dog or go fishing, but...

For the last few years I've been involved in helping folks out in Douala, Cameroon, you've no idea how bad life is for these poor beggars. I was out there about 7 years ago, saw it with my own eyes, and could never put it out of my mind how poverty struck many of them are.

If it was just the poverty, {the world is weighed down with that, 1 in 6 people go to bed hungry in this world that we live in}, but it's their back breaking and heart breaking plight to see how life is for millions of people in Africa.

Here's a few facts to contemplate, in many African countries 30% of their children die {from malaria etc} before they turn 5, add to that 1 Million people of all ages die each year from Malaria. Not to mention that there's 1 Million people still in slavery !!!

Yet few folks complain, those who consider themselves to be doing alright often have a life expectancy of around 47 ! Work {if you can get it} is hard graft, what they consider to be a good job pays around 20 quid a week, if you are lucky, and on it goes...

After seeing what I saw 7 years ago I got it in my mind that if every I made a pile of money from the shaving cream etc, I'd do something with it to make the lives of at least some folks a little easier, and that's what I'm going to do.

There's already some folks that I've been helping out as much as I could, via Kiva.

Link to Kiva.org

I've made my mind up that this year {at least, while I'm still around}, I'm going to spend much of my time and a good bit of my money doing what I can for them.

I'm planning to head out to Cameroon sometime in November, then on and off spend as much as 6 months there to make sure my money gets put to good use. So I'll no be wandering round the pubs in Donegal this year. I've had my kick at the cat, now it's time for this old socialist to pay his dues so to speak.

All this brings me round to 'The Comp" and the sponsorship that I've put into it over the last 3-4 years. I don't mind giving a few grand away, I've had a lot of fun out of it, but after thinking long and hard what {extra} good 3-5 grand could do in Cameroon I feel it's time for me to bow out of the sponsorship.

I hope that you guys will be able to appreciate where I'm at with this, the simple fact is, there's folks with greater needs than any of us have, so in a few months time my money and myself will be heading their way.

I hate to have to announce this as I've had a great time in here, and made some really good friends, but I just feel obliged to have my priorities right.

I hope that you'll all understand, and I hope that The Comp will carry on regardless.

All the Best, and Thanks for the friendship and support that many of you have given me during the tough times I've had battling cancer the last few years.

Canada Bob.

Edited July 16, 2009 by Canada Bob

[Caley Braveheart]

I've made my mind up that this year {at least, while I'm still around}, I'm going to spend much of my time and a good bit of my money doing what I can for them.

I'm planning to head out to Cameroon sometime in November, then on and off spend as much as 6 months there to make sure my money gets put to good use.

I hope that you guys will be able to appreciate where I'm at with this, the simple fact is, there's folks with greater needs than any of us have, so in a few months time my money and myself will be heading their way.

I hate to have to announce this as I've had a great time in here, and made some really good friends, but I just feel obliged to have my priorities right.

I hope that you'll all understand, and I hope that The Comp will carry on regardless.

Thats good to hear Bob, been to Africa myself before for 5 weeks doing chairty / volunteer work and can be an amazing place and im sure with your drive and enthuasism you can make a big difference.

Appreciate all you have down for " The Comp" but money is not nesscary and will contine as a bit of fun and rivialry.

All the best

Iain

Edited July 16, 2009 by Caley Braveheart

[clacher_holiday2]

Well Done Bob, on all of that

It's only a tipping competition, better to spend your money elsewhere, youll not find anybody on here with a bad word to say about the venture. Might be harder to get folks involved but who cares?

Will you be giving us updates on your travels? How did you end up in Cameroon of all places 7 years ago?!

[CaleyD]

Well done Bob....I've never been in a position to be able to give much in terms of direct finance to charity but I've always been willing to give my spare time to do what I can for the causes I've found worthwhile.

Good luck with this and please keep us up to date with how things are going.

[CaleyCanary]

Nice one Bob, there's many of us who'd like to do something like that and many more who talk about it - it's something else to actually go and do something about it!

We'll miss you here while you're away but the Comp will certainly go on because it's such great fun. Keep in touch mate and let us know how it's going. All the very best.

[Scotty]

Bob,

Thanks for your input in this forum and for your tremendous sponsorship of this competition over the last few seasons. Our loss is most definitely someone else's gain and it sounds like you have chosen to put your hard-earned where it will truly make a positive difference.

To all Players ....

Although it is unlikely to be as generous as the bounty offered by Bob over the last couple of seasons, we do hope to have a prize for this year's competition and are currently in discussions with someone to sponsor this forum and the NAPs competition. More details to follow as and when we can divulge them.

[Canada Bob]

Thanks for the kind words and the understanding of the situation {and obligiations} that I find myself in right now.

Things have moved on at a pace for me, I've sold the Patents that I had on the shaving cream etc, and if all that was connected with that wasn't enough the XL5 {my mosquito/blackfly etc repellent} now places demands on my time as folks {think Government Dept's and Charitable Agencies} from Cameroon, Malawi and South Africa are placing orders and sending folks to Canada to meet with me, so all in all I'm run off me feet.

Thankfully the Mountain is coming to Mohammed as I've spent some time in more than a few countries in Africa where it came as a shocker to find out that in much of Africa life expectancy is in the mid 40's. If it's not Malaria knocking them down like flies over a Million people a year, then it's the fact that up to 30% of folks have Aids/HIV, not to mention River Blindness, it just goes on from there, including...

90% of people in Africa don't have ready access to clean/safe water, 90% of them live {or try to live} off around $1 a day, if a man can earn {by real hard graft} $15 {10 quid} a week he considers himself to be doing well, no wonder when you find out that there are 1 Million people {men, women and children} STILL in slavery in Africa, how come no one tells the Western World about that !

Have to say that what I saw changed my view of the world, and of the unfortunate people in it. once you have seen the poverty and the struggle they have simple to stay alive, you can't turn your back on it.

I've dropped for a lot more money than I ever expected to have, and I'm way to old to spend it on wine, women and song, so in my last few years I'll do what I can to bail these poor beggars out. I'll also dedicate a project to the folks of our Betting Forum, once that's sorted out I'll let you all know where it was and what it was...

All the Best, to all of you...

Canada Bob.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Good luck to you Bob on your travels - always a pint waiting on a bar in Donegal if you ever decide to return - slainte :018: