Special Olympians will hope for a bumper stock market trading day on March 3rd. Stockbroker NCB has decided to donate any commission it makes on that day to the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will be held in Dublin in June.

"We are delighted to lend our support to what is undoubtedly the most important sporting event in Ireland's history," said Mr Conor O'Kelly, managing director, NCB Group.

Under a company-sponsored initiative, NCB staff will also join 30,000 volunteers helping run the games, which involve 7,000 athletes from 160 countries and which are taking place outside the United States for the first time.