The “Olympic Day Run” joins forces with “The Smile of the Child”
The “Olympic Day Run” joins forces with “The Smile of the Child” to offer more smiles to children who need it!!!
The only Olympic Road Running Race in Greece highlights the Olympic values
The ultimate Olympic experience of “Olympic Day Run” returns for the 4th year in Thessaloniki on Sunday, September 26, 2021. The only Olympic Road Running Race in the country is expected to take place with the participation of Olympians, Paralympians, distinguished athletes and coaches, sports clubs and associations from all over the country, as well as active citizens, promoting the Olympic spirit and “fair play”.
In the context of this year’s activities presentation for the “Olympic Day Run”, the event held a press event at the amphitheater of the Hellenic Olympic Committee in which the collaboration with “The Smile of the Child” was presented.
Dr. Kyriaki Oudatzi, Director of the Olympic Museum and “Olympic Day Run” General Director presented the special features of the unique Olympic Road Running Race, which make the event a landmark race for the cultural and tourist development of the country.
During the press event, short greetings of the Race’s Organizing Committee President and Thessaloniki Mayor, Mr. Konstantinos Zervas, the Hellenic Olympic Committee President, Mr. Spyros Kapralos, as well as the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis were read, which referred to the great dynamic of the most significant race of the world Olympic family.
In particular, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, noted: “The Olympic Day Run is a unique event in our country to celebrate the International Olympic Day. It is an important running event that communicates Greece internationally as the birthplace of the Olympic Games and makes Thessaloniki a world Olympic center. The International Olympic Day emphatically states that the Olympic Games are not just races and performances, they are a timeless idea, which originates from antiquity, is passed down from generation to generation and continues undistracted throughout time. The Olympic Games teach the value of the common harmonious and peaceful coexistence of athletes from different sociocultural backgrounds. Olympism demonstrates that peace, ‘fair play’ and good sportmanship are essential components of the society we want to have. It is a great opportunity to join forces and build on the solid values of the Olympic ideal”.
Mr. Spyros Kapralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, President of the European Olympic Committees and member of the International Olympic Committee stated: “It is with great pleasure that the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum decided to dedicate the Olympic Day Run this year to the Organization ‘The Smile of the Child’ joining forces for such an important cause. The Olympic Day Run is a running race that has a social character and supports the Olympic values, highlighting the good sportsmanship and the importance of fair play, based on Solidarity, which is also the main value that drives the purpose of the Organization ‘The Smile of the Child’. This year, with this collaboration, we want to share smiles with these children who are the future of our country, and to show them that the Olympic Family is by their side, supporting them in their own struggle, thus connecting the essential meaning of solidarity with the Olympic Ideal”.
Mr. Konstantinos Zervas, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Day Run Greece and Mayor of Thessaloniki highlighted: “It is important to keep the Olympic spirit alive through sports events, especially in Greece. The global institution established by the International Olympic Committee to celebrate the revival of the Olympic Games, and honor their birthplace, is a special honor and joy that takes place for the 4th consecutive year in Thessaloniki. A special feature of the race is that it also supports the cause of the Organization ‘The Smile of the Child’, giving us an important symbolic message of social sensitivity. From the position of the Mayor of Thessaloniki but also as the Organizing Committee’s Chairman, I will be happy with the achievement of our goals”.
Moreover, Mr. Stelios Angeloudis, Vice President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and Vice President of the Olympic Museum, stressed: “The Olympic Day Run Greece, the most important race for the Olympic family, focuses on the human being. Human solidarity and social sensitivity are at the core of the Olympic values. We serve them in the Olympic Committee, we highlight them with our actions in the Olympic Museum. These are the reasons why we want the basic Olympic action of our Museum to be dedicated to what makes a child’s smile more beautiful”.
Subsequently, the President of the Board of Directors of the Organization “The Smile of the Child”, Mr. Konstantinos Giannopoulos stated: “The Smile of the Child”, in its 25 years of operation, honors, defends and faithfully follows the values and ideals that govern it, such as equality, respect, dignity. Values that are inextricably linked to sports and the spirit of the Olympic idea, as sports education contributes substantially to the social and moral education. It is our great pleasure and honor to participate in the 4th “Olympic Day Run” Greece and in the dissemination of the Olympic idea, following the kind and moving initiative of the Olympic Museum of Thessaloniki. We warmly thank the organizers and participants, who actively support the daily ‘struggle’ of our Organization to be by the side of every child and its family who is in need or in danger”.
The Olympian rowing athlete Mrs. Chryssa Biskitzi, representing the Hellenic Olympians Association, conveyed the message of the Hellenic Olympians Association President, Ms. Voula Kozompoli: “The Olympic Day Run is the only running race that is held aiming at disseminating the Olympic Values in the context of the International Olympic Day celebration. As ‘transmitters’ of the Olympic Values, we; the Greek Olympians, have an active participation in the organization of this race, through our collective body. As it was announced during the signing of our Cooperation Agreement with the Olympic Museum some time ago, from this year the Hellenic Olympians Association joins forces with the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the Olympic Museum, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the International Olympic Academy and the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), so that we all together give the start of the 4th Olympic Day Run Greece on Sunday, September 26, in Thessaloniki”.
Mr. Manolis Kolympadis, General Secretary of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Ms. Xenia Argeitaki, Assistant Professor at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, former champion in athletics, member of the Hellenic Olympic Committee and member of the Hellenic Olympic Academy representing Ms. Sofia Sakorafa President of SEGAS, as well as Ms. Voula Zygouri, Olympian wrestler and board member of the Hellenic Olympic Academy, representing Ms. Evi Moraitidou, President of the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, underlined that the 4th “Olympic Day Run“ Greece is the landmark race for the Olympic family, which 125 years after the First Olympic Games of 1896, will mark the restart of sports through a majestic Olympic event, which honors the universal Olympic values with a human eye.
The event was attended by Olympians and distinguished athletes – including the Marathon Runner Maria Polyzou, Maria Alevizou, Mr. Giorgos Liveris, founding member of the Hellenic Olympians Association, Mr. Ioannis Stathopoulos, Hellenic Olympians Association Head of Communication, as well as a number of media representatives. who renewed their appointment at the starting line of the 4th “Olympic Day Run” Greece.
Run for a good cause
The “Olympic Day Run” GREECE joined forces with “The Smile of the Child” to give more smiles to the children who need it. You can now support “The Smile of the Child” by registering in the 2km race and selecting here one of the social contribution packages. With your registration you offer 3 euros to the Organization’s constant struggle so that every child can have everything it deserves.
Register now
The event includes 10km race for adults, 5km race for adults and teenagers and 2km for all ages. Register now here until 10/09.
The Olympic Museum and Olympic Day Run Gold Sponsor, PROTERGIA, the Grand Sponsor, Ethniki Asfalistiki, the Race’s Silver Sponsor, Thessaloniki Transport Authority (OSETH), the Supply Sponsors, Athos and Dole, the hospitality sponsor Grand Hotel Palace, and the travel agency Greece on the Go, the event’s Tourist Support Agency, support the vision of Olympism and offer their kind assistance to the implementation of the project, of utmost importance. Moreover, they contribute to the country’s promotion on the world Olympic map and the dissemination of the Olympic values to a better future.
The 4th Olympic Day Run GREECE is organized by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Academy, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Olympic Museum, the Hellenic Olympians Association, SEGAS and EAS SEGAS Thessaloniki and DKO OLYMPiA with the participation of Olympians, Paralympians, Distinguished Athletes, Sports Clubs and Institutional Bodies from all over the country, with the support of the Hellenic Olympic Academy, the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, the Greek Paralympians Association, the Region of Central Macedonia and Thessaloniki International Fair-HELEXPO. The event is held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for Unesco, the Ministry of Interior of the Macedonia-Thrace Sector, the General Secretariat of Sports, and the Municipalities of Ampelokipi-Menemeni, Thermi, Kalamaria, Kordelio-Evosmos, Neapoli-Sykies, Pavlos Melas, Pylaia-Chortiatis, Volvi, Delta, Thermaikos, Lagadas, Chalkidona, Oreokastro, Almopia, Aristotelis, Dion-Olympos, Emmanuel Pappas, Iraklia, Kavala, Kassandra, Kilkis, Naoussa, Polygyros, Serres and Skydra.
For more information:
Olympic Day Run GREECE is the only Olympic Road Running Race in Greece and constitutes the official global institution for the celebration of the International Olympic Day, established by the International Olympic Committee, the organizing authority of the Olympic Games, with the aim of spreading the message of the Olympic idea. The global celebration for the establishment of the International Olympic Committee and for the decision of organizing the first Modern Olympic Games (ATHENS 1896), turns the focus of the whole world on Greece, while raising its position to the world Olympic and tourism map.
