SC Braga and FC Vizela are the first known names of a total of six clubs distinguished with the Social Responsibility Award (PRS) for the month of December. The trophies awarded by the Board of Directors (CA) of the Football Foundation – Liga Portugal to the initiatives “What life separated, SC Braga united again” and “This Christmas we do different”, respectively, were delivered by Beto Pimparel, this Tuesday, on the stage of another edition of the Allianz CUP Final Four. In tomorrow’s semi-final and final, the other four winners for initiatives carried out during the Christmas season will be announced.
The Social Responsibility Award distinguishes, monthly, a project in the social and environmental area promoted by Professional Football clubs, voted among three finalists selected according to the criteria defined in the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In December, the festive period causes intervention to multiply and the criteria of the Football Foundation – Liga Portugal follows this trend. As has happened in the past, the CA chaired by Pedro Proença, which has Nuno Gomes as vice-president and Alan Osório, Beto Pimparel, Domingos Paciência, Helena Costa and Nélson Pereira as members and also includes Senators António Simões, António Oliveira and Manuel Fernandes, decided to increase the number of finalists to six and, after analysis, award all projects.
It was on the Leiria pitch, already in the countdown to the first Allianz CUP semi-final, that Beto Pimparel delivered the PRS. “In football, as in society in general, it is important that the values that Christmas inspires us are present throughout the year and the clubs have been a good example. In December, we had a lot of initiatives that are to be applauded, but it is fair to say that clubs’ mobilization for social and environmental causes has been a constant since the beginning of the season: in the first six months of the season, all professional league teams promoted Social Responsibility initiatives and this should make the entire Professional Football community proud. The December PRS also reflect this spirit of closeness to the community, reflected in the beautiful story that SC Braga wrote when reuniting a family and in the various actions with which FC Vizela strengthened ties and values within the community”, declared the CA member of the Football Foundation – Liga Portugal.
Alexandre Carvalho, director of Communications at SC Braga, Sílvia Gomes, from SC Braga Solidário, and Rogério Gonçalves, the club’s OLA, received the PRS for the initiative “What life separated, SC Braga brought back together”: in the European game in Naples (Italy), the club promoted the reunion of two brothers who live in different countries; one of the young people traveled with Artur Jorge’s team; the other surprised him at the stadium, in a moving moment.
António Salvador, president of SC Braga, declared himself proud of the work carried out by the club in the social aspect: “Over the years, SC Braga Solidário has played an important role in the community, both local, national or international. The initiative we completed during the Christmas season is part of the great cause we serve, even taking into account that it focused on a family. This cause is the impact that SC Braga Solidário can have on people’s lives. This is what moves us, whether in the face of great humanitarian dramas or in the face of particular difficulties. The smiles of these brothers and this family represent the true spirit of Christmas for us. I congratulate all the SC Braga members involved for the great work they did.”
FC Vizela was awarded the December PRS for the project “This Christmas we do different”, a campaign inspired by the advent calendar that consisted of 25 actions, with emphasis on the placement of signs throughout the stadium with messages of fair play, inclusion, combating insults and calling for the eradication of discriminatory behavior.
André Morais, Communication Director at FC Vizela, received the trophy: “We believe that social responsibility actions lose strength if they are not perpetuated over time and repeated daily. Therefore, last Christmas we decided to do something different and took advantage of the 25 days of Advent to carry out concrete actions that can promote the values of ethics, fair play and inclusion and combat insults, violence and intolerance. The way in which the entire squad, staff, local associations and opposing clubs adhered to the proposals renews hope for the effectiveness of the campaign, which was also summarized in 25 different locations in the stadium, so that Christmas 2023 will be remembered in the future and the actions can be repeated spontaneously.”