World Children’s Day is celebrated on December 11, and representatives of the Federation of Olympia filled the children hosted at the refugee reception facility of Myrsini, in the Regional Unit of Ilia, with smiles by offering toys and books.

At a time marked by uncertainty and insecurity, which in turn give rise to racism and xenophobia, members of the Federation of Olympia sent a message of solidarity and support from Myrsini to children and families affected by war in their homeland.

The smiles on the faces of the young children are the greatest reward for this initiative, which forms part of the actions of the “Route of Truce” carried out every year in Ilia, symbolically linking the host city of the ancient Olympic Games, Ilida, with the place where the Games were held, Ancient Olympia.

The President of the Federation of Olympia, Mrs. Sofia Hintziou Kontogianni, stated:

“Within the framework of the Organization’s social program, we opened our arms to the ‘children of war’ by collecting toys and books.
We opened our arms to children who battled raging seas in order to reach Greece, searching for a better world without bombings and hunger.
A better world where peace will prevail. And what better place to demonstrate this than here, in the very land where the concept of the Truce was born—an essential precursor to peace, and in ancient Greece a prerequisite for participation in the Olympic Games.
With the help of friends of the Organization, we gathered toys in order to ease, even in the slightest way, the pain of forced displacement from homes and homeland endured by these children. This effort will certainly continue.”

Present at the event were Mr. Nabil Youssef Morant, Director of the refugee hosting facility in Myrsini and former Mayor of Andravida–Kyllini, as well as the President of the Local Community of Myrsini, Mr. Andreas Apostolopoulos.

Mr. Morant, himself Syrian, stated:

“During these holy days for us Christians, we offer a little joy to the children of war. We stand by our fellow human beings and we prove it.”

The Secretary of the Federation of Olympia, Mrs. Anna Papaioannou Georgakopoulou, emphasized:

“We thank the parents and children who responded to our call and donated toys.
Through this program, our aim was to raise awareness among young people on issues concerning vulnerable social groups, environmental protection, and to bring hope that the ‘Route of Truce’ is a path that can also lead to their own truce and peace…”

In addition to the dozens of volunteer friends who offered toys for the children, the Federation of Olympia would like to warmly thank the company
Avance Greece,
which supports the actions of the “Route of Truce” and provided the vehicle used to transport the toys to the Myrsini facility.

As part of its social program and believing that everything has value and can be recycled, the Federation of Olympia delivered plastic caps to the

Volunteer Corps of Samaritans, Rescuers and Lifeguards of the Hellenic Red Cross – Amaliada Regional Department
.
The caps were collected from runners during the Route of Truce events of 2021 and 2022, as well as from friends of the Organization.

For the collection of the caps, the President of the Federation of Olympia, Mrs. Sofia Hintziou Kontogianni, warmly thanked:

– The runners of the Route of Truce events

– STASY (Urban Rail Transport S.A.), which, within the framework of its Corporate Social Responsibility actions, chose to donate the caps collected by its employees for the purchase of wheelchairs for people with disabilities in the Regional Unit of Ilia.
Special thanks were addressed to the CEO of STASY, Mr. Thanassis Kottaras, and Mrs. Annita Patsouraki, CSR coordinator of STASY, who were also present at the handover.

– The 1st Scout Group of Ilioupoli,
who also support the Route of Truce every year.

The caps were handed over by members of the Federation of Olympia, Mrs. Sofia Hintziou Kontogianni and Mr. Konstantinos Kontogiannis, to Mr. Alexis Xydis, head of the Samaritan Department of the Volunteer Corps of Samaritans, Rescuers and Lifeguards of the Hellenic Red Cross – Amaliada Regional Department.
The caps are stored at their facilities and will be delivered to the Association of Paraplegic and Mobility-Impaired Persons of the Regional Unit of Ilia.

Mr. Konstantinos Kontogiannis, as a member of the Federation of Olympia and also as Leader of the 1st Scout Group of Ilioupoli, congratulated Mr. Alexis Xydis for both their valuable support during the Route of Truce events and their continuous efforts to assist fellow citizens in need.
It is noted that the volunteers of the Samaritan Corps of the Amaliada Regional Department provide medical coverage for the runners of the Route of Truce.

Finally, we would like to thank once again the company
Avance Greece,
which continues to stand by our side and support every initiative by providing vehicles for our actions.