The President's Sports Club jointly with the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation held the Christmas Tradition charity campaign in Minsk. The teams that took part in the Christmas ice hockey tournament visited four foster homes of Frunzensky District of Minsk, BelTA has learned.
The charity campaign was traditionally conducted on the sidelines of the Christmas Amateur Ice Hockey Tournament for the Prize of the President of the Republic of Belarus. It brought together ice hockey players from around the world and Belarusian children left without parental care.
Ksenia Valakhanovich, Aide to the Chairman of the President's Sports Club, noted that the Christmas Tradition campaign became part and parcel of the Christmas ice hockey tournament. In her words, both children and athletes look forward to this campaign that celebrates friendship and sport. “This campaign is also about funny games and fascinating master classes, magical quests and festival traditions, but first and foremost, it is about family gatherings. Children delight athletes and organizers with their numerous talents, while guests talk with children and wow them with their gifts (laptops, mobile phones, sports gear, musical instruments). This year, for example, the team from the United Arab Emirates brought a drum set, the athletes from Team Germany gifted semi-acoustic guitars, and the team of the Belarusian president gave children self-balancing scooters and electric kick scooters. After all, every child is unique in their own way and every one of them needs love, care and a Christmas miracle,” Ksenia Valakhanovich said.
This year the participants of the tournament visited 53 children living in four foster homes of Frunzensky District of Minsk. Each family lives in a separate apartment of a residential building on Kammenogorskaya Street. These foster homes received a total of Br32,000 in financial support from the President's Sports Club and the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation.
Valera, a boy who lives in one of the foster homes, was delighted by the Christmas Tradition campaign. “We were looking forward to receiving the guests. Children, especially little ones, like it immensely. They received gifts and had fun. The air is filled with a holiday vibe,” the boy said.
The Christmas Tradition charity campaign was launched in 2013. Over this time, the organizers and teams participating in the tournament visited orphanages and children's shelters in Minsk, Molodechno, the villages of Krinichny and Borovlyany and the town of Radoshkovichi. The aid was provided to a total of 777 children.
The charity campaign is organized by the President's Sports Club jointly with the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation.
Photos by Oksana Manchuk
