FCBARCELONA.CAT

30.07.2009 13:05

Barça shows its caring side in the USA

David Saura (special correspondent)

Barça’s tour of the USA isn’t just about football. As usual, the official programme of FC Barcelona in the USA includes a number of events that reinforce the charitable work of the Club.

The leading role in these non-footballing activities, which highlight that Barça is “More than a Club”, is taken by the FC Barcelona Foundation. The Foundation’s director general, Marta Segú, has travelled with the rest of the Barça party to publicise a number of initiatives and work on some new projects.

Review of Malaria No More in Los Angeles

A year ago, during Barça’s stay in New York, the Club announced its collaboration with the Malaria No More NGO and AYSO (the American Youth Soccer Organization) on the project ‘More than a Club: Kick it to malaria. The aim of the alliance, as described at www.morethanaclub.org, is to raise funds for the fight against malaria.

Now it’s time to look back and assess the success of the campaign so far. Malaria is the main cause of infant mortality in Africa – a child dies every 30 seconds, more than a million every year. A Gala Dinner will held in Los Angeles at the Katsuya Japanese restaurant at LA Live to review the work of the organization. Among the guests will be Club president Joan Laporta and representatives from Malaria No More.

Part of the money collected has been used to provide mosquito nets for the XICS (Xarxa Internacional de Centres Solidaris) centres in Mali and Senegal.

Recognition in Seattle

On the next stop in the tour, in Seattle, the work of the Foundation, and in particular its work with UNICEF, will be publicised at an event at the Experience Music Project. It has been organized by Barça’s hosts, the Seattle Sounders, and will feature videos describing some of the Foundation’s activities and the travelling photographic exhibition of Pep Bonet, which was shown in New York a few months ago.

During the event, which could include representatives of the squad, a work by the artist Dale Chihuly will be auctioned to raise funds for the joint projects of FC Barcelona and UNICEF in the fight against AIDS.