The long-awaited Spring Week of Goodness under the motto "We are creating our future together!" was launched in Moscow on April 20, 2013. Each year there is a growing number of people wishing to participate in cleaning streets and parks, planting trees, giving charity concerts, assisting children and war veterans, and taking part in sports activities. Each year, UPF and the Young Ambassadors for Peace organize various events during Russia's Spring Week of Goodness.
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Moscow: "All Together"
Youth Community, under the Department for Culture of the Moscow Government, UPF, and the Land and People charitable foundation, with assistance of the Izmailovsky City Park for Culture and Recreation organized "All Together!" on April 20 and 21. Despite the cloudy weather, at the main stage of the Izmailovsky Park many volunteers assembled to contribute to improvement of the surroundings. It is a good feeling to help benefit nearby people, especially when many of them are young families and visitors to the capital who are walking in the park to take a breath of fresh air, enjoy the singing birds, and find refuge from the bustle of the city. A few hours of collecting old leaves and trash as well as doing other useful work passed quickly, especially for those who worked in groups, where they could enjoy the additional pleasure of communicating and keeping alive the spark of volunteering. On completion of the activity, those who wished stayed to enjoy pleasant conversation over a cup of hot tea; and then each participant received a letter of thanks from the organizers and an invitation to future programs of the kind.
Even more enthusiasts gathered together on Sunday, April 21, a cool day, for activities including a sports components and even a captivating flash-mob dance promoting a clean world. As it turned out, at three venues in Moscow and in several cities of Russia guys from the Chisto Lyubie movement organized simultaneous flash mob dances with one simple goal: to draw attention to the purity of not only on the streets, but also in the hearts!
One of initiators of the event, Dmitry Samko, Secretary General of UPF-Russia, shared about the Run Hour program taking place simultaneously in ten cities of Russia during the Spring Week of Goodness. All who wished went for a run in the Izmailovo Park, and at the end they were welcomed by another event organizer, Eugenia Beginina from Youth Community, with plenty of green balloons, symbolizing the pure world. And, of course, each participant launched his balloon into the sky much to the delight of families with children!
At the end of the two-day program volunteers participated in a Play Football Make Peace tournament, where in a friendly but highly competitive atmosphere the UPF team became the champion. The team from the Healthy Youth Foundation was the second, and bronze medals were handed to the Dream Team from the Youth Community.
Organizers hope that such a vivid and memorable start of the Spring Week of Goodness in the Izmailovo Park will give impetus to further volunteer projects and strengthen the desire of the younger generation to continue their deeds of goodness!
Novosibirsk: "Plant a Tree and Reap Friendship"
In the framework of the "Spring Week of Goodness," a volunteer project called "Plant a tree and reap a friendship" took place at the Novosibirsk orphanage No. 6 on April 27. The event was related to Russia's Year of Environmental Protection.
Just as a tree needs the sun, irrigation, and time for growth, real friendship involves time, smiles, and good deeds. The activity was organized by volunteers of UPF, who inspired the children to take part in this project and even plant their personal trees. The activity was joined by volunteers of the KFC Company, who supported children during the lesson of goodness and took part in planting shrubs. It should be mentioned that in Novosibirsk, KFC is conducting a charitable mini-football tournament for teenagers on May 4-5.
The event consisted of several segments. Volunteers and children gathered together in the library hall for a lesson on environmental protection. According to UN statistics, on the average every person of the planet consumes two large trees per year; and each discarded battery that is not recycled could pollute 400 liters of groundwater. The organizers shared details about planting bushes of lilac and chokecherries, which were planted later. A quiz with prizes was held at the end of the lesson.
After the lesson all went into the street for planting shrubs. After digging holes they planted young saplings. The school children’s faces were shining with delight. After all, it was the first time that they planted shrubs anticipating the future miracle in the form of berries and flowers. Children chose names for their shrubs. Ivan and Nikolai, organizers of the action, prepared tablets with names of the bushes, which included Power of Spirit, Friendship, Wisdom, True Love, and Defender of the Motherland.
Then there was a friendly mini-football match followed by a tea party, during which volunteers sang songs to guitar accompaniment to share the warmth of their hearts with the residents of the children's home.
This was the second such activity. The first took place at the orphanage of St. Nicholas in April 2011.
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