Today, children hosted in shelters of SYNYPARXIS of the Church of Greece, unaccompanied refugee children who were uprooted from their homelands and found in our country in search of a better future, had the opportunity to meet and play football with the legendary Greek champions of Euro 2004.
This meeting was not coincidental. It is part of a wider effort in the last years of the Church of Greece through SYNYPARXIS to provide beyond the coverage of the necessary, experiences, stimuli and opportunities to the approximately 200 children who are hosted in its shelters, in order to acquire the supplies that will allow them to fulfill their dreams for the future.
Despite the prevailing summer heat, which was taken care of by the kind sponsorship of the natural mineral water “ZAGORI“, young and old, were there early waiting eagerly for the European Champions.
Giourkas Seitaridis, Giorgos Karagounis, Angelos Basinas, Dimitris Papadopoulos, Vassilis Lakis and also Giannis Kontoes offered the children of SYNYPARXIS a unique experience. The champions on behalf of SYNYPARXIS and His Eminence the Metropolitan of Ilion Mr. Athenagoras were welcomed by the General Director Archimandrite Panteleimon Papasinefakis and introduced them to the impatient, young and old, friends of football who had been waiting in the football field.
This was followed by an enthusiastic fight in which the winner did not matter but the message that was meant to pass on to everyone. The champions of Europe together with the young champions of life, showed that sport unites and teaches with its teamwork and noble competition. Two halves full of passion, intensity and enthusiasm.
Our champions did what they know best: to teach the children who participated the secrets of the ball, but above all to teach them the importance of sportsmanship.
At the end of the match, the champions awarded the cup to the young refugees for the previous tournament, while the General Director of SYNYPARXIS presented a commemorative plaque to GREEK LEGENDS 2004.
For this important event, the vice-president of OPANDA Mr. Giourkas Seitaridis thanked SYNYPARXIS and declared the full support of all in its work. The General Director expressed the gratitude of everyone, to us always by our side as he stressed, the Mayor of Athens Mr. Costas Bakogiannis and Mr. Seitaridis who stand by the efforts made and the need of children to play sports. Mr. Seitaridis and all the champions, as he noted, immediately accepted our invitation to play with our children and did not hesitate, despite their busy schedule, to give their best. SYNYPARXIS of the Church of Greece, stressed, under the guidance of Most Reverend President, with a series of actions that it plans and with its presence will continue to fight to offer a safe environment to children and to convey that the message of the Gospel for peaceful coexistence always remains relevant as has been emphasized many times by His Beatitude the Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Mr. Jerome.
