Let us begin with topmost achievements. Among the sport facilities renovated at the Klitschko Brothers Foundation’s expense is a Severodonetsk sport school that had not been repaired for 40 (!) years. This school, at which children train every day, is the region’s center of sporting life.
Renovating sport schools is one of the functions of the Klitschko Brothers Foundation, an all-Ukrainian charitable organization founded in 2003, which gave an account of its three-year performance later last week. The foundation carries out programs to popularize a healthy way of life, promote sport, and implement educational projects, as well as supports young people’s initiatives. According to Wladimir Klitschko, who in fact reported on the foundation’s performance, the work of this organization is aimed, above all, at popularizing a healthy way of thinking. Klitschko said the foundation would continue to function “in spite of the political situation in this country, irrespective of what the Klitschko brothers might be doing.”
In terms of figures, the foundation’s activities look as follows: about 5,000 children work out in the gymnasiums fitted out at the charitable organization’s expense, and the foundation’s various projects have embraced a total 250,000 Ukrainian kids. The foundation has been carrying out its projects in every Ukrainian region and spent 21,207,000 hryvnias for this in the past three years.
In addition to partners and philanthropist friends, one of the foundation’s sources of incomings was a gala soiree and an auction held in 2010. “We then managed to raise about a million dollars for the foundation’s projects,” Klitschko noted. Another soiree of this kind is to be held in Kyiv on March 29.
During the press briefing, The Day asked Wladimir a few questions.
Your foundation is carrying out interesting and really useful projects, but, obviously, no true changes are possible in this country unless there are systemic changes in the state. Do you think there is a chance for these systemic changes?
“Ukraine is still developing, which also applies to many social spheres which are, unfortunately, rife with problems so far. It is also a struggle, as it is for democracy, freedom of speech, and European standards of charitableness. There should be, and there are some, role models. The Klitschko Brothers Foundation is not the only charitable organization that meets world and European standards, so an open report that shows the foundation’s transparent work is very important for us. As for the state and the ways of changing the social system, the state must, naturally, support charitable organizations. We are trying to closely cooperate with the local authorities. For the sport structures that we help build are to be further supported by the state – coaches should receive salaries and public utility charges should be paid. If the state does not get involved, these projects will just remain ‘a flash in the pan.’”
How do you assess in this contest what Vitalii Klitschko proposes? For he is one of the most promising Ukrainian politicians…
“I fully share and support my brother’s views and goals, as far as this country’s sociopolitical spheres are concerned. He is spending a lot of life energy on this. I think the goals he and his political party UDAR have set will be achieved – not in the least because there already are many people who are taking a right view of Vitalii’s intentions. As is known, one cannot fight all alone. Knowing Vitalii’s persistency, I think he will achieve success, and we will be able to see this during the coming parliamentary and Kyiv mayoral elections.”
