Players on the Maccabi Tel Aviv squad played host to hundreds of children from three organisations in the framework of the flagship project of the Israeli national volunteer centre, "Ruach Tova"
After a postponement of seven days due to last week's wintry weather, Maccabi Tel Aviv today commemorated Israel's national "Good Deeds Day" at their Kiryat Shalom training complex. "Good Deeds Day" is the annual flagship project of the organisation "Ruach Tova", who have taken upon themselves the task of developing volunteerism in Israel. For that purpose, and to promote the spirit of mutuality in Israeli society, the "Good Deeds Day" project was started in 2007 and continues up to this day. This year Maccabi Tel Aviv resolved to embrace the occasion by inviting hundreds of children from organisations with whom the club have an ongoing partnership – "Educating for Excellence", the "Appleseeds" Academy and "Larger than Life".
The activity was carried out with the support of the Israel Sports Betting Board, who make a significant contribution to the community by promoting recreational and sports activities. The Board also provided special prize packages for one of the three activities organised for the benefit of the children, the "Wheel of Fortune". And what could possibly make the young winners happier than to receive their prizes straight from the hands of the Maccabi players themselves! In addition to the activities, the children had the opportunity to enjoy every moment of the "quality time" they spent with all the squad players, and the smiles on all the young faces told the whole story as they collected autographs, best wishes and had their pictures taken with their favourite Maccabi Tel Aviv football heroes.
"Educating for Excellence" is an organisation established for the purpose of promoting equal opportunity in education, with a view to narrowing the enormous social and economic gaps that exist within Israeli society. The project was initiated in the realisation that gifted children living in Israel’s disadvantaged neighbourhoods have the least access to the kind of support and enrichment that would enable them to realise their potential.
The "Appleseeds" Academy provides equal opportunities to the socially disadvantaged in Israel's peripheral communities through technological tools and the development of life skills. The academy was established in 2000 and focuses on reducing social disparities by providing accessibility to information and technology.
The "Larger than Life" organisation was founded in the year 2000 by parents of cancer stricken children with a view to supporting them in dealing with the disease, providing medical and emotional support and organising fun-filled activities along with improved treatment and medical services.
