The Maccabi Tel Aviv FC Foundation had a month packed with programs and activities for various populations in and around the Tel Aviv community. 100 Olim Hadashim from Nefesh B’ Nefesh came to the training facility at Kiryat Shalom and were treated to a variety of activities which included an encounter with youth player Noam Cohen, an interactive multimedia presentation about the history of Maccabi, football and Israel by Foundation Head Josh Halickman and a training session and football games with educational consultant and youth department goalkeeping coach Hen Abdu.
Yellow & Blue legend Vicki Peretz also spoke to the group about his career highlighting his time at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
The Under-16 Club along with injured IDF veterans from Brothers for Life, friends of Maccabi and the Maccabi Foundation got together at LEKET Israel where together the group learned about how more than 175K people are fed every week with the food that is collected, sorted and then distributed.
Over the course of the program the participants separated out vegetables for the needy with lots of music in the background and fun talk between them all.
Special Olympics and the Maccabi Foundation began their brand new partnership with a number of fantastic activities which included having the Special Olympics logo printed on the Maccabi players jerseys as they walked onto the pitch hand in hand with the Special Olympics athletes prior to the match against Beitar Jerusalem. The limited edition jerseys are now being sold to raise funds for joint programming between the Foundation and Special Olympics which will include UEFA Football Week in May 2017.
A new tradition began at this match as well when a Special Olympics athlete brought the match ball out to the referee as a group of 20 athletes cheered them on.
There was also a Torch Relay was also held with the Under 17 & Under 16 Clubs at Kiryat Shalom and featured some of the athletes that participated in the games.
To top off the collaboration, the Foundation sponsored the Special Olympics Football Tournament at Wingate during the first ever National games as 14 teams wore specially designed Maccabi Foundation jerseys for the length of the competition.
Chinuch L’Psagot, Educating for Excellence participated in a fun filled activity with HISENSE, one of the Club’s sponsors, as 30 children were welcomed into the company’s flagship store where they played foosball,
PlayStation and knock hockey with Maccabi players along with having hotdogs, popcorn and more to satiate the group. A good time was had by all!
Foundation Head Josh Halickman also participated in a panel about Sports and Social Change on the community that was held in the Florentine neighborhood.
