Accra, Sept 28 GNA - In a bid to ensure that the senior national team, the Black Stars make the needed impact at next summer's World Cup in Germany, a number of commercial and financial institutions and post offices have expressed their commitment to help raise substantial funds to enable the team prepare adequately.

The fund raising drive dubbed, "Support Black Stars for Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup and Egypt 2006 African Cup of Nations" is the brainchild of RIC Consult Limited, Marketing Partners of the Ghana Football Association in collaboration with EXP Momentum who are under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Sports.

According to the organisers, RIC Consult, the target is to raise two million dollars, which would be used among other things to support the post qualification training allowances of the team both at home and abroad in addition to purchasing the 25 BMW 1 Series cars for the players on their qualification to Germany.

The organisers said the near qualification of the Black Stars to their first ever World Cup has generated interest of soccer loving Ghanaians including those in the diaspora who want to contribute their widow's might in the drive to motivate the team to achieve success. The institutions are Barclays Bank of Ghana, Unibank, Stanbic Bank Ghana, Ecobank Ghana, First Atlantic Merchant Bank, Standard Trust Bank, Trust Bank, Amalgamated Bank, Merchant Bank Ghana, Ghana Post Office and First Atlantic Remittances Company.

Posters inviting all Ghanaians, both corporate and individuals to contribute by donating to a special numbered suspense account "Germany 2006", have been displayed at the selected Banks, post Offices and other financial institutions.

In a related development, a fund raising dinner would be held at the Alisa Hotel, North Ridge on Friday, September 30.

According to RIC Consult, the dinner is part of the general call to corporate bodies and individual Ghanaians to support the Stars to succeed in their first ever entry into the World Cup.