Olga Kharlan and other Olympic athletes meet with the beneficiaries of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund
On October 21, Kyiv hosted another major event within the charity project Intersport — For the Children of Heroes, aimed at supporting children who lost their parents due to the war.
Nearly 90 young Ukrainians who have experienced such loss had the opportunity to meet prominent Ukrainian athletes: Olga Kharlan, Alina Komashchuk, Olena Kravatska, Yuliya Bakastova, Parviz Nasibov, Iryna Koliadenko, Iryna Herashchenko, Marta Fedina, Ihor Trunov, Oleh Kukharyk, Dmytro Danylenko, and Oleksii Sereda.
Valeria Abdal, co-founder of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund, who attended the event, said: Our Fund makes every effort to fill the children’s lives with new emotions each day and to support them. We are deeply grateful to our partners: Epicenter K, Intersport, the Olympic Committee, and all the athletes who found time in their busy schedules to join us.
At the event, the Olympic athletes shared their success stories and answered questions from the Fund’s children, who listened intently and eagerly inquired about the athletes’ training and competition preparations. After their talks, the children participated in various sports activities, such as curling, basketball, and breakdancing, held at special stations. Under the guidance of experienced Olympians, the children tackled athletic challenges, with prizes and souvenirs awarded to the winners.
The memorable celebration with the renowned athletes left a profound impact on the children and their parents. Ms. Inna, a mother of one of the Fund’s beneficiaries, expressed her gratitude: From the bottom of our hearts, we extend our warmest thanks for organizing this wonderful sports event for our children. Your generosity, attention, and kindness gave the children unforgettable emotions, joy, and a tremendous boost of positivity. Thanks to you, the children not only enjoyed the sports activities but also received valuable gifts that became a delightful surprise for each of them. You help foster a love for sports, a healthy lifestyle, and a team spirit in the younger generation. Thank you for your contribution to their happy childhood and for supporting our children on their path to a healthy and active life.
Following the activities and delightful interactions with the Olympic champions, the children received another surprise. Representatives from Epicenter K, Intersport, and the NOC fulfilled their dreams by giving them bicycles, balls, cleats, tennis rackets, sportswear, and other items they had mentioned in their letters.
In conclusion, Vadym Gutzeit, President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and Olympic fencing champion, highlighted the importance of sports in every child’s life, especially in these challenging times: Almost all the Olympic champions are here today with you to share how they started in sports. So you can see for yourselves, they are just ordinary girls and boys, Ukrainians. I was just like you, came to fencing, picked up a saber, and fell in love with it for life. I encourage all parents to take up sports themselves and bring their children to gyms and sports schools. All across Ukraine, there are open children’s sports schools and clubs. Children, find the sport you love and pursue it. You may not become sports champions but will be champions in life.