For Immediate Release For Immediate Release For Immediate Release
Liverpool FC and Ukraine Soccer Legend Helps World Football Exhibitions Make Chernobyl Children’s Dreams Come True.
On Monday 13th August 2007 Liverpool’s summer signing, star striker and Ukraine Soccer Legend Andriy Voronin, welcomed some of his young countrymen to England and to Liverpool Football Club. World Football Exhibitions in partnership with 1st Rate Recruitment, Stagecoach UK and Liverpool Football Club, arranged the very special visit for a group of Belarusian and Ukrainian children visiting England’s North West on behalf of the charity Chernobyl Children Lifeline (Registered Charity Number: 1014274).
The children are all victims of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Despite none of the visiting children being born at the time, fallout and radiation from the disaster site, just 16 Kilometres from the Belarusian border, will continue to affect the area and inhabitants for generations to come This is particularly the case for Belarus, where it is estimated that 60-70% of the radiation released by the disaster was absorbed.
Transport to Anfield was provided in style by Stagecoach UK on the Stagecoach Liverpool FC Champions of Champions bus. Tom Wileman, Regional Director for Stagecoach said: “When we were approached to help transport the kids to Anfield I was determined to make their day extra special. Laying on the Liverpool Champions of Champions bus I hope has given them some great memories to take back home.”
The visit to Liverpool Football Club was inspired by Paula Eddleston, Managing Director of 1st Rate Recruitment Ltd. Paula was a guest at the March 2007 Audience with the Soccer Legends Celebrity Chat Show and Gala Dinner organised by World Football Exhibitions. Paula, along with her guests and colleagues, enjoyed the show so much, that she immediately signed up to be a major sponsor at the next Audience with the Soccer Legends spectacle. As event sponsor, Paula had the opportunity to specify a charity for the not-for-profit evening to support.
Paula said: “Working with Chernobyl Children Lifeline is so very rewarding. What I like most is that all donations – be they money or gifts – go straight to the charity and the children. Spending time in the UK helps these wonderful children to build up their immune systems and also affords the children visits to doctors, opticians and dentists where they receive important medical care that they simply cannot get at home”.