It was a “match” different from the others—a “match for life.” This effort gained more global recognition than any game Olympiacos has played. It was acknowledged by major international media outlets. This refers to the life-saving efforts made by Olympiacos, following the initiative of its President, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, when the refugee crisis began to escalate in our country, especially at the Port of Piraeus.
From March 4th and for nearly two months, until government agencies took over, Olympiacos ensured that refugees who sought shelter at the gates of the port of Piraeus received food, clothing, footwear, and other necessities. Initially, the demand for food reached 1,300 portions, but this number soon tripled! Nonetheless, Olympiacos stood by all those who had been uprooted from their homelands and were searching for a ray of hope. After weeks of offering support (with players and management members of the club present at the port gates), the food portions exceeded 70,000, while clothes, underwear, and various other items, as well as toys for children, reached 150,000!
This monumental effort and Olympiacos’ huge embrace of love and humanity could not go unnoticed by the Municipality of Piraeus, which received significant help during those difficult days concerning the refugee crisis. Therefore, the Municipality of Piraeus and the Council for Migrant Integration honored Olympiacos’ leader, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, Thursday evening (June 23rd), at the Piraeus City Council chamber.
The award, on behalf of the Olympiacos President, was received by Mr. Vasilis Vassileiadis, CEO of “Karaiskakis SA.” Mr. Vassileiadis, as is well known, was the coordinator of this humanitarian effort. He was the person who organized the convoy of love every day, starting from “G. Karaiskakis Stadium” (where the food was cooked) and delivering it to the port gates, where the refugees eagerly awaited.
The Mayor of Piraeus, Mr. Yiannis Moralis, handed the award for Mr. Evangelos Marinakis to Mr. Vasilis Vassileiadis. In his speech, Mr. Moralis said, among other things: “We thank Olympiacos FC for offering thousands of food portions daily. As you all know, I have a special sensitivity to this issue. Furthermore, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, President of Olympiacos FC, is also the first municipal councilor in votes in Piraeus and is always supportive and contributes to our municipality. Mr. Vassileiadis also helped immensely by organizing the daily distribution of food, clothes, and other items.”
From his side, Mr. Vasilis Vassileiadis, CEO of Karaiskakis SA, emphasized: “We just followed the instructions of our President, Mr. Evangelos Marinakis. Every day, we cooked warm, home-like meals, which were distributed in an organized manner to the refugees at the port of Piraeus. Thousands of food portions, clothes, shoes, toys, and other items that we had in our storage were happily offered to these people who were in great need.
