My BIGGEST fight yet

Sunday Mirror, Nov 12, 2006 by STEVE GRAVENOR

BOXING hero Steve Collins last night revealed he is planning his biggest fight yet - to raise thousands of euro for starving orphans.

The former world super middleweight champion is visiting Dublin on Tuesday to make a desperate plea for cash.

The fighting hardman has now dubbed himself the Orphan Warrior after hearing of the plight of street children in poverty stricken Nepal.

He has teamed up with British businessman Adam Murry, who runs the Murry Foundation - a charity that works around the world to help poor people, the environment and wildlife.

Collins, who lives near St Albans in Hertfordshire, said: "When I met Adam and he told me about the plight of these children, I just knew I had to help.

"It is the biggest fight of my life at the moment.

"I am desperate to raise the money and get this thing up and running. The children have nothing and we really need to help them. All it will take is e165,000 and we can get it done.

"I really want to be able to fly out to Nepal before Christmas and be able to give them the best present of their lives." The scheme involves building a village dedicated to giving a future to the hundreds of Nepalese street children, who are mostly abandoned or orphaned.

The 42-year-old said: "What Adam has planned is not just an orphanage but an entire village.

"It will have a school, accommodation and even a business centre to give them a chance to learn a trade as they grow up. I really knew very little about Nepal before I met Adam but, when I heard about the conditions these children lived in, I made it my business to find out more.

"I have got hundreds of photographs of these poor little kids and it breaks your heart.

"I look at my own kids and see how comfortable they are and how wealthy we are in the West and think we must do something."

Collins has already held several fundraising functions in Britain with fellow boxer Nigel Benn and TV presenter Gail Porter.

But he is hoping the Irish will really throw their weight behind the plan and help him realise his dream of reaching his fundraising target by Christmas.

Collins will be guest of honour at Monty's of Kathmandu at Eustace Street in Temple Bar for Tuesday's fundraising dinner.

But he wants ordinary Irish people to donate cash to the Adam Murry Foundation.

Anybody who wants to help should go to the website: www.themurryfoundation.com