Dustin gives celebrities a roasting to scoop €10,000 community award

DUSTIN the Turkey has scooped the Celebrity Dublin Project of the Decade at the 2003 Guinness Living Dublin Awards.

A new dimension to the Guinness Living Dublin Awards, the Celebrity Dublin Project was added to this year’s awards to celebrate their tenth birthday and featured 10 community-based projects which were nominated by 10 of Ireland’s best-known celebrities.

Despite keeping a low profile at the festive time of year, Dustin the Turkey received the most votes for the Celebrity Project and his chosen charities, National Children’s Hospital, and Our Ladies Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, which will both receive a donation of €5,000 each.

The public decided which project won by voting for their favourite celebrity and Dustin came out on top with over 35% of the votes.

Nominations were also received for Brian O’Driscoll, Marian Keyes, David Norris, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Damien Dempsey. Kevin Moran, Christina Noble, Louis Copeland and Bill Cullen complete the celebrity list.

The Guinness Living Dublin Awards announced on Monday last are a joint partnership between the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Diageo Ireland and Dublin City Council. The awards are divided into five categories; Community Development, Business in the Community, Culture & Tourism, Education and Tidy Districts.

IBM took the overall prize in the 2003 Guinness Living Dublin Awards.

Other category winners included Puca Puppets in the Culture & Tourism Category; the Irish Blue Cross in the Community Development Category; O’Connell School in the Education Category; and Beauvale Residents Association in the Tidy Districts Category.

IBM also took first prize in the Business in the Community section. Each winner will share a €25,000 prize fund and was awarded a specially designed trophy by Leo Higgins.

The overall winner also received an original John Behan sculpture.