Six Villages for 2006, the official charity campaign of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, is continuing to go from strength to strength. Box office takings for Sonke Wörtmann’s Germany – a summer fairy tale documentary have now raised more than three million euros for the joint SOS Children’s Villages International and FIFA campaign. Ahead of the EURO 2008 qualifier between Germany and Slovakia, SOS Children’s Villages project leader Wolfgang Kehl received a symbolic cheque from FIFA's Markus Siegler, Germany captain Michael Ballack and Wortmann.
Before filming began, FIFA, the German Football Association, the Western German Broadcasting Corporation (WDR), Kinowelt Entertainment and Little Shark Entertainment – the production company owned by Wortmann – had agreed that the majority of box office revenue would be donated to the campaign. Income from ongoing DVD and soundtrack sales and future box office takings is expected to take the grand total to around four million euros. One euro from the sale of every DVD is transferred directly to the charity campaign.
“The phenomenal success of this initiative is proof that FIFA is, more than ever, taking its social responsibility seriously. We have used our most important competition as a platform to spread positive messages and to collect money for a good cause. With more than 21 million euros in donations, we have significantly surpassed our financial targets, and the support from all sides makes us proud. I would like to thank everyone whose support has helped to give more than 800 abandoned children a new home in these six new SOS children’s villages,” said Siegler. World football’s governing body and SOS Children’s Villages have been working together since 1995.
More than 21 million euros have so far been collected for “6 Villages for 2006” since the campaign was launched in December 2003. Apart from the 800 permanent places in these new children’s villages, a further 5,000 children and 1,000 families in need will benefit from additional social and educational projects. The revenue will go entirely towards building six new SOS children’s villages in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam, as well as towards covering their running costs for the first ten years and the implementation of social programmes. The first two villages have already been opened in Mexico and South Africa. Children in Vietnam, meanwhile, will be able to enter their new home on 14 June.
Before filming began, FIFA, the German Football Association, the Western German Broadcasting Corporation (WDR), Kinowelt Entertainment and Little Shark Entertainment – the production company owned by Wortmann – had agreed that the majority of box office revenue would be donated to the campaign. Income from ongoing DVD and soundtrack sales and future box office takings is expected to take the grand total to around four million euros. One euro from the sale of every DVD is transferred directly to the charity campaign.
“The phenomenal success of this initiative is proof that FIFA is, more than ever, taking its social responsibility seriously. We have used our most important competition as a platform to spread positive messages and to collect money for a good cause. With more than 21 million euros in donations, we have significantly surpassed our financial targets, and the support from all sides makes us proud. I would like to thank everyone whose support has helped to give more than 800 abandoned children a new home in these six new SOS children’s villages,” said Siegler. World football’s governing body and SOS Children’s Villages have been working together since 1995.
More than 21 million euros have so far been collected for “6 Villages for 2006” since the campaign was launched in December 2003. Apart from the 800 permanent places in these new children’s villages, a further 5,000 children and 1,000 families in need will benefit from additional social and educational projects. The revenue will go entirely towards building six new SOS children’s villages in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine and Vietnam, as well as towards covering their running costs for the first ten years and the implementation of social programmes. The first two villages have already been opened in Mexico and South Africa. Children in Vietnam, meanwhile, will be able to enter their new home on 14 June.