Zalgiris helps youths live dream with One Team Ambassadors 0

Third season in the row Zalgiris Kaunas takes part in the Euroleague Basketball social program One Team. One Team ambassadors Renaldas Seibutis and Olivier Hanlan teamed up with management of the club and invited the kids from Kaunas children socialization center to join the fun at Zalgirio arena.

In One Team project, every Euroleague club works with certain socially vulnerable group and helps it to integrate into society. For the third consecutive year, Zalgiris is cooperating with Kaunas socialization center. This center aims to raise and educate children properly, to form their values and social skills so they would become responsible, independent and virtuous citizens.

Lithuanian champions have already met the youthful delegation from socialization center earlier this season, but this time Zalgiris’ guards and One Team ambassadors Seibutis and Hanlan invited their young friends to have united practice at Zalgirio arena.

“We are really glad that we can accomplish something really significant not only on the court, but also outside of it. One Team project is a great tool that can turn young people’s lives in the right direction. We met them at Zalgirio arena and had a discussion about importance of having a goal in your life“, said Zalgiris guard and the ambassador of One Team Renaldas Seibutis.

Hanlan and Seibutis contributed to the program telling the kids their stories of growing up. While listening to Hanlan’s story children could relate to him as the teaching of his parents and the love for basketball kept him out of the bad influence.

Later Zalgiris players invited the kids to use the practice court of Zalgirio arena. One Team ambassadors and Zalgiris athletic coach Justinas Grainys taught the children to play as a team and help each other.

“I had a fun day today at a One Team project. I gave a feedback of my personal experience of growing up and I hope it will make an influence. Helping the community is very important and I enjoy being the ambassador of One Team”, said Hanlan, who grew up in Canada.

The core of the cooperation between Zalgiris and Kaunas socialization center is not only to make children happy, but also to develop their personalities through sports and, specifically, basketball. There are activities conducted in their center every week, where Zalgiris administration staff and the fan club members from Green White Boys are present. Different sport games are being played as well as the conversations are held with children on the most relevant topics.