March 6 2006
6 villages for 2006 presented at halftime of Italy vs. Germany
06/03/2006 - Children from SOS Children's Villages accompanied national team players onto the pitch for the second half of the football friendly Italy vs. Germany on 1 March in Florence, in order to promote 6 villages for 2006 - Official Charity Campaign of the 2006 FIFA World CupTM. FIFA/SOS ambassador and Italian team captain Fabio Cannavaro was among the players.
More than 50 children and volunteers from all seven SOS Children’s Villages throughout Italy travelled to the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence in order to present 6 villages for 2006, a joint fundraising project between FIFA and SOS Children’s Villages, during halftime of the football friendly.
“FIFA and SOS Children’s Villages are engaged in a particularly important project this year,” said Fabio Cannavaro, one of four Italians who have agreed to take on the role of “FIFA for SOS Children’s Villages” ambassador. The others are footballers Francesco Totti and Christian Vieri, as well as former referee Pierluigi Collina.
“I am a father and I believe it is an important task to be engaged in a project which ensures the happiness and the futures of children who need a home and a family. By supporting the campaign we can all show our solidarity and contribute to ensuring a future for many children in need,” added Cannavaro.
With the support of FIFA and more than 80 footballers serving as “FIFA for SOS Children’s Villages” ambassadors, 6 villages for 2006 aims at collecting sufficient donations for the construction of six new children’s villages – one each in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Vietnam and Ukraine. The goal is to give 800 orphans and abandoned children a new family home, as well as provide social services to thousands of people in need.
At the friendly match in Florence, SOS Children’s Villages Italy asked football fans to donate to the campaign via their mobile phones – one euro through an SMS and two euros via a phone call.
SOS Children’s Villages has been carrying out humanitarian work in Italy since 1963. Today, the organisation operates seven children’s villages (Mantova, Morosolo, Ostuni, Rome, Saronno, Trento and Vicenza) that care for children in need and provide support for families from the community.