Holden Racing | 2012 | holden.warchild@hotmail.com
Miles Holden has seen first hand the effects of war on children.
In the British and Canadian military and now retired, the Perth resident and sidecar driver admits to serving in a lot of less-than-fortunate places, while stationed in areas in a combat role.
Holden spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and South East Asia. Retired with chronic post traumatic stress disorder as well as other medical issues as a result of an injury sustained in the field, Holden said he needs to focus on bringing some positivity to situations he knows are grim for many children in those war-ravaged areas.
"The thing that really haunts me is the impact of all this (war) on the children," he said. "We would see famine, no educational resources, situations where young girls were forced into prostitution, children being kidnapped and forced to be child soldiers, homelessness - it's unthinkable what children face in these areas."
Holden said he can still recall images in areas of conflict, finding women and children huddled in old buildings or basements to escape the violence, with no food or water.
"I've seen many things, that as a father myself, I will never forget," he said. "After leaving the military, I felt that even though we were in these places for the greater good, it was still very destructive. So, I felt the next thing I had to do should be something constructive."
That's where the charity 'War Child' comes in. Holden is the owner and driver of Holden Racing. Coming off of his inaugural season based out of Shannonville and touring the sidecar-racing circuit, he captured the rookie title for the Sidecar Racing Association East. This year, he's planning to make the upcoming season even more meaningful by raising funds for War Child Canada, a charitable organization that helps children in areas of conflict around the world.
To do so, Holden is aiming to attract sponsors interested in helping him reach his fundraising goal. He is quick to point out that Holden Racing is a not-for-profit endeavor, meaning none of the donated funds will be funneled back to him. Every penny sponsored for War Child will go directly to that organization, he said. Holden has a race lineup that includes a vintage 1975 Suzuki sidecar, a more modern Formula 2 sidecar , a 2004 BMW R1100, and a 1989Kawasaki ZX7 motorcycle. "There are lots of opportunities for sponsorship," he said, noting the team races in Quebec, Ontario, New Jersey and up and down the east coast, so logos and promotional material will be heavily seen. I
The racing season starts at the end of April, so Holden is gearing up to start the season with a new, rig, a new passenger in the sidecar, and, hopefully a lot of funds collected for an organization he knows will benefit children in areas where he has witnessed hardship and tragedy.
Excerpt from the 'Perth Courier'
by Roseanne Lake
Approximately 250,000 children under the age of 18 are thought to be fighting in conflicts around the world, and hundreds of thousands more are members of armed forces who could be sent into combat at any time. Although most child soldiers are between 15 and 18 years old, significant recruitment starts at the age of 10 and the use of even younger children has been recorded.
Around the world, children are singled out for recruitment by both armed forces and armed opposition groups, and exploited as combatants. Easily manipulated, children are sometimes coerced to commit grave atrocities, including rape and murder of civilians using assault rifles such as AK-47s and G4s. Some are forced to injure or kill members of their own families or other child soldiers. Others serve as porters, cooks, guards, messengers, spies, and sex slaves.
Please help to end these atrocities.
To see how you can help please.........contact.
War Child is a registered charity CHARITABLE REG #: 872374426RR0001
News
Huge
'thank you' and great appreciation for the recent donations from:
John and Helga Holden (UK)
Ann and Peter Norris (UK)
March 26 2012
The campaign was kicked off in grand style with a couple of very generous donations from the UK. With the goal at $10,000 , we are already at 8% with the race season not yet started. Amazing!!
The first event on the race calender is the 'Test and Tune' at Shannonville Motorsport Park, Ontario , April 21/22.
Hope to see you there.....if you need directions email me or go to http://www.shannonville.com
Looking forward to a great season.
April 21-22 2012
A great test weekend at Shannonville Motorsports Park , Ontario. The Saturday was a bit of a rain out , with Colin and I only managing a few very wet laps on our `slicks` . For both of us , it was our first outing on the new F2 rig.
Wet and cold , but our enthusiasm to get out on the track overshadowed that ....no problem.
Sunday gave us some better weather and the chance to get some work done. Everything felt very good and once we have ourselves a little more used to the extra power and working as a new team , we should be flying.
The 600cc GSXR engine just wanted to run....but we resisted the urge and stayed within our own learning curve.
Thanks to Perth Motors and Woody`s Cycles for all the help.
At this time....due the cost of travelling the great distance , unfortunately, we will be unable to attend the first round in New Jersey , May 5-6 .
April 26 2012
Big thanks to all at `Woody`s Cycles`, Perth Ontario. The Vintage rig is now ready to go. New ignition, valves set, and generally overhauled and wired. Went out for a little boot around the neighbourhood and apart from upsetting the neighbours it was amazing.