New York, 5 November 2015 – Olympiacos Football Club, the largest donor to UNICEF’s 100% Campaign in support of immunization programmes, has renewed their partnership with UNICEF. Since 2013, the contributions of Olympiacos Football Club have helped protect nearly one million babies, supported polio campaigns and the training of medical healthworkers.
This renewed commitment from a significant sports partner will strengthen current efforts to raise awareness and funding to vaccinate the most vulnerable children and epitomizes the spirit of Team UNICEF. Team UNICEF is an initiative built around the idea that sport can change children’s lives by helping break down barriers, promote participation, alter attitudes and include the excluded.
One and a half million children die every year from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccinations. Together with its partners, UNICEF’s immunization programmes are helping to keep children alive and healthy by protecting them from disease through regular vaccinations that save three million lives every year. But one out of five children in the world is not fully vaccinated. Those who are left behind usually live in remote areas, with little access to healthcare.
Launched in 2013, the 100% Campaign is a fundraising initiative to enable routine immunization for babies from birth to eleven months old, and polio vaccination for children under 5 years old. The ultimate goal is to reach every vulnerable child and to fulfil their right to be protected from preventable diseases such as polio and measles.
So far the 100% Campaign has supported vaccination programmes in Chad but aims to target a number of countries where coverage is amongst the lowest in the world. Thanks to the support of Olympiacos Football Club and other contributors, since the beginning of 2014 over 400,000 babies in Chad were fully vaccinated against tuberculosis, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles and polio before their first birthday. During the same period, five national polio vaccination campaigns were conducted and over 1,400 vaccinators trained.
“Two years ago, Olympiacos Football Club partnered with UNICEF to help stop children from dying needlessly when a simple vaccination could help protect them” said Jorge Olague, UNICEF Head of Private Sector Fundraising. “Immunization is one of the most important public health interventions and we are delighted to see the renewed support of Olympiacos. Our heartfelt thanks goes to Olympiacos FC and its fans for their commitment to the health of millions of children. We also take this opportunity to congratulate the club for winning the Superleague Greece and the Greek Cup.”
“Since 2013, when Olympiacos and UNICEF joined forces for the immunization of children in Greece and abroad, we have worked together with unwavering passion and commitment to save the lives of children in need” saidEvangelosMarinakis, President of Olympiacos. “It is with great pride that we are renewing our partnership with UNICEF. By making the well-being of children around the world a priority, we are sending out a strong message of hope and solidarity to present and future generations and we ensure the continuity of our commitment to assist children in need worldwide!”
UNICEF Greece Executive Director Ilias Liberis underlined: “ We in UNICEF Greece are delighted with this invaluable partnership with Olympiacos FC which permits to advocate for children’s rights and protect children’s lives both in Greece and globally. The renewal of the partnership gives a strong push in our humanitarian action and makes Olympiacos the largest contributor to children’s rights in the country”
About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit:www.unicef.org
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About Olympiacos FC
Olympiacos is the biggest title-winning club in Greece since its foundation in 1925, having won many distinctions both in the Greek Championship and in the Greek Cup competitions. However, Olympiacos F.C. is far from being just an ordinary club. It is a family; and all together, the administration, the technical staff, the athletes and the fans constitute the building blocks of history in the making of the most successful and powerful sports organization in the country throughout the years. The club has won 42 league championships in total and our club’s captains have celebrated winning the Hellenic Cup 27 times! Moreover, during the last fifteen years, OLYMPIACOS has participated 13 times in the Champions League, the greatest football club competition in the world! Olympiacos FC and President Mr. Marinakis have a very strong charity tradition and in the past years have supported, numerous times, charity foundations and everyday people in need, both in Greece and abroad. (www.olympiacos.org)
For more information, please contact:
Olympiacos FC: Ms. Veroushka Georganti, Project Executive, +30 210 4143000 / vgeorganti@olympiacos.org
Hellenic National Committee for UNICEF: Mr. Ilias Liberis, Executive Director & Head of Communication, +30 210 7255555 / unicefgr@hol.gr
