Champagne challenge to give Help for Heroes (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Champagne challenge to give Help for Heroes

5:00pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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IT MIGHT sound like a rather unusual challenge, but Pat Giltinane is trying to fill a giant Champagne bottle with five and one pence pieces to give to charity.

The bottle, which he bought 15 years ago, is three feet tall and eight inches wide, and he aims to fill it to the top before donating it to Help for Heroes.

The 55-year-old gas engineer said he decided to collect for the charity after speaking with a client’s son, who had just returned from Afghanistan.

He is determined to fill it by April 24, to coincide with a charity event at The Fox pub in North Waltham, also raising money for Help for Heroes.

The father-of-two from Tyfield, Sherborne St John, is prepared to travel around Basingstoke to give people from pubs, clubs and societies the opportunity to drop their small coins in the bottle.

He said: “I want to say to people that I don’t want their pounds or lots of money, just five pence and one pence pieces because they are the only coins that will fit in the top.”

Anyone wishing to donate money can call Mr Giltinane on 01256 851462.