The Fiji Football Association has donated $32,819 to WOWS Kids Fiji to aid in the battle against childhood cancer in the country. This amount was generated during the Fiji FACT and Rooster Chicken/Scoops Ice Cream Battle of the Giants Tournament, where $1 from each ticket sold was allocated to WOWS Kids Fiji.
The donation was officially presented at the opening ceremony of the FMF Inter District Championship last Tuesday at Churchill Park in Lautoka. Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel, along with Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, was in attendance for the presentation.
Patel reaffirmed the association’s dedication to assisting WOWS Kids by collecting donations at various football tournaments since 2022’s Pacific Community Cup. “We are happy to be in this fight with WOWS Kids, and we will continue to be in it together,” he stated.
He highlighted that this initiative is part of the Fiji FA’s social and corporate responsibility efforts. “We have the Football for Humanity program, which is focused on our former players’ welfare, but as part of our corporate social responsibility, we decided to partner with WOWS Kids, which provides support to children diagnosed with cancer,” Patel explained.
He further mentioned that Fiji FA plans to sustain its support for WOWS Kids Fiji in every possible manner. “Last year, we donated a total of $37,532, and I would like to thank our football fans for their contributions,” he added.
Vilash Chand, vice chair of WOWS Kids, expressed appreciation for Fiji FA’s support over the last two years. “On behalf of our founders and board, we are extremely grateful to Fiji Football. The donations have helped save many children’s lives,” he said. He also noted that this contribution will ease the financial strain on families facing difficulties in affording their children’s cancer treatments.