Crystal Cherkizovo played volleyball game with kids from UNITY foundation

Crystal Cherkizovo, a volleyball club whose main sponsor is Cherkizovo Group, met children with cancer supported by the UNITY charity foundation to talk about the history of volleyball and play an exhibition game.

A charity event to support kids with cancer from the UNITY Foundation was held at the Children and Youth Creativity Palace in Voronezh on Tuesday, May 23. The event was sponsored by Cherkizovo Group and the Voronezh Regional Administration. Accompanied by adults, children took part in an exciting volleyball masterclass.

In the year when Russian volleyball celebrates its 100th anniversary, Igor Balashev, President of the Voronezh Region Volleyball Federation, and coaches and players of Crystal Cherkizovo helped kids discover the history of this sport. The masterclass also featured an exhibition game, a ball-throwing contest and, of course, training in basic volleyball techniques. At the end of the event, all kids received prizes and had a photo with the entire team.

“The players were happy to have a training session together with the kids, who got actively involved in volleyball exercises they were offered. This means they are true fighters and believe in their recovery,” said Igor Balashev, President of the Voronezh Region Volleyball Federation.

“We have been sponsoring Crystal Cherkizovo since 2019 and appreciate the fact that the players have made time in their busy training schedule to meet kids supported by our partner, the UNITY foundation. By getting to know professional athletes, kids not only learned more about one of the most popular sports but also had a lot of fun,” commented Vsevolod Gribchenkov, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development at Cherkizovo Group.

“We are glad to have been able to engage the kids who are currently being treated at the hospital in our charity event. More than just an event – it was a real sports game with professionals and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, an astronaut and Hero of Russia. It was really cosmic: the sport and the feeling of unity, the joy of life that everyone felt, and the inspiration for the kids to continue fighting the cancer. They came out of the gym with their eyes sparkling and with new plans for the future, and in our line of work, that's what matters most,” said Alena Kuzmenko, President of the UNITY charitable foundation.