The Stavros Niarchos Foundation honors the Greek National Football Team, with grants totaling €1,250,000 to philanthropic organizations in Greece
Jun 27, 2012
Source: EPO
The Board of Directors of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in recognition of the fighting spirit and the superb collective efforts of the Greek National Football Team in the European Cup in Poland and the Ukraine, approved yesterday a €1,250,000 grant in honor of the entire team, including its coaches.
The grant will be directed to not-for-profit organizations chosen by the members of the National Team. Specifically, the Foundation is offering every one of the 25 members of the Team the opportunity to support a non-profit of their choice, with the amount of €50,000 each. All grants will be made directly by the Foundation to the respective non-profit, in the name of the footballer/coach who proposed it, and the whole of the National Team.
Through this action, the Foundation recognizes both the efforts of the footballers on the pitch, and the potential of sport to lift the collective spirits of a nation during times of hardship. At the same time, and since athletes ought to serve as examples, the Foundation is hoping that, through its initiative, it will encourage more people who are in a position to make a contribution to philanthropic causes to do so, especially given the adverse conditions Greece is currently facing.
This grant is part of the Foundation’s €100 million (US$130 million) initiative, towards contributing to alleviating the effects of the current socio-economic crisis in Greece.