Euro 2012 – Sport and Community Champions
Wednesday, June 6th, 2012It’s football season! No, not that football – American football doesn’t start until September. World football is what we’re talking about! The European Football Championship 2012, commonly known as Euro 2012, kicks off on Friday, June 8th in Warsaw, Poland.
Poland and Ukraine – hosts of Euro 2012
EURO 2012 is hosted by Poland and Ukraine. The top 16 European national soccer teams will be competing in the month-long tournament for the UEFA Euro 2012 title. Competition is fierce, and national rivalries are renewed during the championship.
UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, governs soccer in Europe. UEFA does great work to support the community. Check out all UEFA Social Responsibility projects at UEFA Social.
One particularly engaging initiative is called RESPECT your Health -Euroschools 2012. This is the official community health education program of the UEFA EURO 2012.
The one-year project aims to promote a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on smoking prevention, responsible alcohol consumption, healthy diet and physical activity among young people and their families in Poland and Ukraine. Through a “train the trainers” approach, local institutions and NGOs in the eight UEFA EURO 2012 host cities will be empowered to activate their communities and promote good health. A guide will help coaches, teachers, social workers and others use the power of football and sport to engage communities, increase health literacy levels, and establish a common feeling of ownership for public (sport) grounds.
Source: http://respectyourhealth.eu/en/
Valoramás’ Key Players who Give Back: Spain and Portugal
- National Team: Portugal
- Club Team: Real Madrid (Spain)
- Postition: Forward
- Philanthropy: ambassador for Save the Children
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organization for children. Their mission is to improve children’s lives around the world. The organization has presence in more than 120 countries.
Save the Children
Cristiano Ronaldo is the global face of Save the Children’s worldwide campaign to prevent the needless annual deaths of nearly seven million children under the age of five from preventable illnesses like measles and diarrhea. Ronaldo helped raise 37,000 Euros to combat infant mortality in the Save the Children’s campaign in Dubai last year.
- National Team: Spain
- Club Team: Chelsea (England)
- Position: Forward, Striker
- Philanthropy: Charity work supporting causes such as: Oliver Mayor Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Unicef, Grow Up Playing Foundation, Montse Benitez Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Talita Foundation, Club Atletico de Madrid Foundation, and Liverpool´s Disabled Supporters Association.
Oliver Mayor Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The objective of The Oliver Mayor Foundation against Cystic Fibrosis is to raise societal awareness about the problems of integration and advancement, so as the psychological and human problems, suffered by those with Cystic Fibrosis and by their families.
The Spanish team is in Group C along with teams from Croatia, Italy and Ireland. Portugal, on the other hand, is in Group B along with Germany, Denmark and Netherlands – this is likely the toughest group in the tournament, known as the “group of death”.
History of Euro
The European Soccer Championship is organized every four years since 1960. The first Euro Championship host country was the now-defunct USSR. This year is the 14th Euro tournament. Germany has won the tourney three times, with Spain and France each winning twice.
Will the Spaniards, champions of Euro 2008, repeat their success? We will find out in four weeks. Enjoy the football!
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