Priddy, Giba & More for Charity

A Special Letter from Herosi Foundation…

Noble Cause Unites Rivals From the Playground

The players of the Volleyball National Teams of Poland, Brasil and USA, all united by a great-hearted purpose in the eve of the World League Finals of 2011

Foundation “Herosi” (Heroes) public benefit organization of Warsaw, which helps children and adolescents suffering from cancer, to reach this object invites as often as possible prominent representatives of different spheres that includes the greatest sportsmen of Poland – in this case, the players of National Volleyball Team. To the Foundation delight they were eager to participate once again in one of their campaigns which they have have organized this week.

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Just before the World League Final held in Gdańsk has started, the Foundation kindly asked them to paint piggy banks which were planned to be put up on auction, and the profit gained by selling these money boxes will facilitate the purchase of the special medical equipment necessary for the patients of the oncology department of Instytut Matki i Dziecka (Institute of Mother and Child) in Warsaw – in that case a pulse oximeter that costs 12 000 PLN which is equivalent to approximately 4 500 dollars.

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At the very beginning of the whole action polish setter, Łukasz Żygadło, took the part of DJ and provided his colleagues the music that gave the basis to the good time they had. To make them more attractive, the piggybanks have diverse shapes and are painted differently, due to the great fantasy of their authors. The hippo of polish libero Krzysztof Ignaczak clearly had a leopard “grandfather” which we can infer from its fur. At the end of the day, the opposite Jakub Jarosz, who have taken part in similar actions in the past, said that it would be precisely what he would miss the most when he leave Poland to play in the Italian league next season.

Later on, the complete novice in this activity, the coach Andrea Anastasi admitted that it was actually fun. While painting he was listening and even singing the greatest hits of Drupi (one of the most known singers of his home country – Italy).

Luckily for the Foundation, players of other teams were also willing to help. For some of them it was not the first time. Giba, Murilo, Vissotto, Bruno, Sergio, Dante of the and also William Priddy of National Volleyball Teams of Brasil and US. respectively, have joined money-box painting action for “Herosi” Foundation. To set them in a good mood the Kaoma’s “Lambada” was played at star, and changed later on for the Michael Jackson’s medley which made the atmosphere even better.

The creativity of foreign players was as great as the one of the Polish ones. Bruno has painted a car in polish and brazilian national colors. Vissotto called his motorcycle a “Cow-bike”, also known as “Vaca’ey Davidson” (the word “vaca” means “cow” in Portuguese). He was inspired by polish cows, which coloring is unusual for the people from Brazil. Murilo has chosen a frog, Sergio a cow, Dante a dog and Giba with Priddy – choo-choo’s.

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All the players were thrilled by the idea they were given. They have said that in their country charity organizations like the “Herosi” Foudation are rarely seen and the activity of its collaborators is less personal. That is way they also liked this particular way of helping, because they could give something more from themselves.

Giba, the captain of the Brazilian team has been cooperating with “Herosi” for last two years and took part in its various actions. Last summer, after the match Brasil vs. Poland, occurred a very moving moment. One of the children the Foundation has been taking care of, 13 year old Maja at the time, have met at the playground one of the greatest volleyball players of all time. This meeting stuck deeply in memory of both of them. This year Giba was asked to make a phone call, just to say “hi” to the girl, which turned out to be a little chat about e.g. holidays, finished by with inviting the girl to watch the games held in Gdańsk. Without doubt, it was difficult for Maja to hide her emotions caused by this tremendous surprise.

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Last but not least, and actually first of the actions organized by “”Herosi” Foundation this week in Gdańsk, was the short meeting between Gilberto and another one of its ex-wards who has ended his cancer treatment in the mentioned above Instytut Matki i Dziecka and is healthy again, Kuba. The teenager came to Gdańsk on the pretext of picking-up some gift from his carers. The very moment he entered the hotel, Giba greeted him by saying “Cześć Kuba” (which means “hi” in Polish). That surprise made boy speechless.

“For two years now, whenever I visit Poland, I have been trying to help as much as I can. It gives me great satisfaction and the reason to be proud of. All these actions deliver so many emotions that my voice gets stuck in my throat. I think nowadays people demand a lot and have great expectations from life, but situations like this one, when you see a person who gets out from a severe disease and is healthy again, are precisely the ones that makes us see what really counts. From the heart.” – have said Giba at the end of the meeting.

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