Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony at three SOS Children's Villages

The first of these foundation stone laying ceremonies will be staged in Morelia, Mexico on 23 July 2005. Among the various prominent guests are the Governor of the western federal state of Michoacán and the President of SOS Children's Villages in Mexico.

On 30 July 2005, the foundation stone will be laid for the SOS Children's Village in Rustenburg in north-western South Africa. The ceremony will begin with speeches and entertainment at the local "Olympia" football stadium before guests proceed to the construction site.

Canada's former international goalkeeper and 1994 player of year, Craig Forrest, who is also engaged in the role of "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassador, will be attending the event in Rustenburg, together with FIFA representatives and national football officials. In addition, South African football hero Lucas Radebe, one of the most committed "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassadors who himself grew up in his country's slums, may also be attending the foundation stone laying in Rustenburg, but his participation has not yet been confirmed.

The foundation stone laying ceremony in Ukraine's Brovary, some 20 kilometres from the capital Kiev, will take place on 26 August 2005. The country's football superstar Andriy Shevchenko, who recently became a "FIFA for SOS Children's Village" ambassador, may be attending the event his schedule permitting. The ambassador of SOS Children's Villages Sweden, Marcus Allbäck, is also expected at the ceremony in Brovary, as are the Vice-President of Ukraine's football federation Viktor Starofoyot and other officials.

The other three SOS Children's Villages to be built under the "6 villages for 2006" charity campaign between world football's governing body FIFA and the international children's welfare organisation, will be constructed in Brazil's Igaraçu near Recife, in Gwagwalada near Nigeria's capital Abuja and Dong Hoi in Vietnam.