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01 June 2007 12:37

Andriy Shevchenko Charitable Fund and Obolon Company Initiate a Give Your Heart to Children Beneficial Soccer Game

Charitable fund run by renowned Ukrainian soccer player Andriy Shevchenko and the Obolon Closed Corporation initiate a beneficial soccer game under a slogan, Give Your Heart to Children, with the participation of Ukrainian and European athletes and show business stars.

Mr. Shevchenko told the July 1 press conference at the Interfax Ukraine agency that the game is scheduled for September 4, 2007, in Kyiv. In his word, the stadium will be selected based on the number of people willing to attend.

The goal of the action is popularizing healthy lifestyle, positive values, and charity traditions among the Ukrainians. The funds raised from the action will be transferred to the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Fund for its Children’s Hospital of the Future project, as well as for Andriy Shevchenko Fund charitable projects, reports Interfax Ukraine.

“Our children are our future. Many of them are burdened with financial, social, and psychological problems. We are planning to invite many children to the game,” Mr. Shevchenko said.

Obolon Company President Oleksandr Slobodian said that his company undertook to cover all expenses for organizing the beneficial game.

President of the Andriy Shevchenko Charitable Fund Olena Shevchenko emphasized that all receipts from the tickets would go for the construction of the Children’s Hospital of the Future. “To my knowledge, nobody has ever carried out any similar action in Ukraine,” she said, speaking about the uniqueness of the future game.

The Andriy Shevchenko Charitable Fund was founded in May 2005. The Fund supports Ukrainian boarding schools. May 31, 2005, a benefit Game of the Heart took place at the San Siro Stadium in Milano, Italy, where star athletes played against Italian pop singers. The raised funds were channeled for charitable aid to the children.

Since 1996 Obolon Closed Corporation sponsors the Obolon professional soccer team. In November 2005 the company has become general sponsor of Ukraine’s national and junior soccer teams. Since November 2005, Obolon has been cooperating with Andriy Shevchenko.