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HOPE SPORTS FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN

On the 15th of May 2003 the ninth annual "Hope Sports Festival for Children" took place at the Luzhniki minor sports arena.

Organizers of the Festival: Moscow Committee of Education and HOPE worldwide - Moscow charity fund.

About 4000 children from 80 Moscow orphanages and 800 volunteers of the fund took part in the event. The volunteers take active part in the Festival and help a lot to make it happen. It would be impossible to arrange such a huge event without their assistance. HOPE worldwide - Moscow greatly appreciates serving of every volunteer. They sacrificed time just to be with children during the whole day to encourage orphans and make a real holiday for them.

The Sports Festival started at 11 A.M. at Luzhniki minor sports arena and finished at 17.30. The goal of the festival is to bring happiness into orphans' lives, to unify children from different orphanages and to help them make friends with the volunteers, who could support them even after orphans graduate school.

Program of the Festival included:

11:15 - opening of the Sports Festival, parade of the participants, welcoming speeches of the honored guests

12:00 - sport competitions, show for spectators, lunch

15:30 - award ceremony, karate show by "Ashikhara-Karate" teams, concert.

The following honored guests made their speeches at the grand opening: Selyavina Lyubov Konstantinovna - deputy of the head of the Moscow Committee of Education, Buratayeva Alexandra - leader of the "Youth Unity" party, deputy in the State Duma of Russian Federation Wooten Shawn - Chairman of the board of directors of HOPE worldwide - Moscow charity fund, social and economic councilor for United Nations, Burtsev Michail Michailovich - the head of Marfino district council, Zhigalova Anastasia - the head of the corporative communications department for "Danone" Harper Mary - head of the company "S.C.Johnson" Kashan Shamil - representative of the company "ITERA".

The program of the Sports Festival included: soccer cup, volleyball and basketball championships, funny contests and dancing competition, and lunch for children and volunteers. The spectators who came to support the team of their orphanage could also take part in different competitions: attractions, asphalt pictures' contest and interesting quizzes.

The results were summed up before the concert and the award ceremony took place. All the prizewinners in every competition received certificates of achievement. Also every orphanage was awarded with diploma and special gifts for memory for taking part in the Festival. It was decided to give prizes to every orphanage in order to promote the spiritual aspect of children having fun in a holiday atmosphere. The goal of the Festival is not only to take the first prize, but friendship, unity and joy of every kid as well.

The concert, which closed the Festival, included performances by:Christian Ray , "X-Mission", "Bozhia Korovka", who are not only popular people, but true friends of children and HOPE worldwide - Moscow.

The charity fund HOPE worldwide - Moscow expresses it's gratitude to all sponsors of the Festival: the general sponsor - "Danone Ltd.", The government of Moscow (Public relations department), The company S.C. Johnson, "ITERA-holding", The company "Nestle", The company "Wimm-Bill-Dann", Moscow Church of Christ, bread-baking plant "PEKO", "Ronald-Mcdonald" center.

"Hope Sports Festival for Children" is one of the best programs of HOPE worldwide - Moscow. It is held annually since September 1996. It became a real holiday for the orphans of Moscow, which impatiently wait for it every year.