Ding donates champion pies to homeless
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China snooker star Ding Junhui on Tuesday donated 276 meat pies to the Homeless and Rootless at Christmas (HARC), a Sheffield voluntary group which looks after homeless people over the festive period.
Ding beat John Higgins 10-8 in the final of snooker's second-biggest ranking event, the UK Championship, on Sunday and part of his prize was 69 kilos worth of pies - his body weight.
"We all wanted to win those pies and when we weighed up we all wore more clothes and I even wanted to put some balls in my pockets but they were found," Ding joked.
"I've have lived in Sheffield for the past few years and I love the city. The least I can do is try to help some of those less fortunate than me at Christmas by donating these pies - hopefully there are enough pies to stop people going hungry," Ding said.
A spokesman for HARC said: "This is a fantastic gesture and we are so grateful for the generosity of Ding and Pukka Pies.
"The donation is a great help to us in feeding those who come to us because they have nowhere else to go as we are the only Sheffield organization which is open to help the homeless over Christmas and New Year."
Tournament sponsor Pukka Pies' marketing and business development controller, Peter Mayes, said; "Ding was a very worthy winner of the UK Championship and we are delighted with his wish to help the HARC at Christmas.
"We hope the delivery of pies will bring some early Christmas cheer to the homeless in Sheffield."
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