Beckham and Shearer shirts part of online auction for Special Olympics

LONDON - T-shirts signed by England captain David Beckham and his predecessor Alan Shearer are among the items being auctioned online to raise money for the Special Olympics Great Britain.

The , coordinated by Premiere Sponsorship Marketing, is being held on ahead of the national Summer Games, to be held in Glasgow this July.

Other items available include shirts signed by players from players from Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Sunderland.

A signed England shirt, a Test Day at Silverstone with the BMW WilliamsF1 Team, a VIP behind-the-scenes day for two at Cheltenham Racecourse with Channel 4 Racing and a day at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground to watch the team is also on offer.

Chris Hooper, chief executive of the Special Olympics of Great Britain, said: "Our organisation is all about diversity, both on and off the playing field, and we need to raise awareness of Special Olympics if we are to become more widely accepted as a leading provider to people with learning disabilities".

The charity was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, whose brother was John F Kennedy, in 1968. It is based on the belief that the Olympic ideals of sport can give confidence to people with learning disabilities of all ages as well as for those who care for them.

The movement now covers 153 countries and includes 1m athletes at a local level. The games this summer will see 2,700 athletes compete in a wide range of sports including swimming, athletics, kayaking, golf and judo.

During the lead-up to the games, police officers from across Britain will be escorting the Special Olympics Flame of Hope from London to Glasgow in a series of relays starting at the London Marathon on April 17.

The flame will visit a number of towns in Great Britain during the 12 weeks prior to the games ahead of the opening ceremony on July 2.

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