WINK AT THE SUN 2012 – Lek Sunshine Games entertain children in Kranjska Gora

17. 7. 2012

Children vacationing at the Villa in Kranjska Gora were today entertained by the Lek Sunshine Games which have been brightening children’s summer holidays for the last 14 years, and by the Slovene Volunteerism Ambassador Barbara Miklič Türk. At the holiday camps of the Slovenia Association of Friends of Youth (SAFY), nearly 2,500 children are currently enjoying carefree holidays; at least half of whom were able to go on vacation due to the humanitarian campaign A Wink at the Sun.

While the children with the assistance of the guests opened ‘real Olympics’ in Kranjska Gora, lit the Olympic flame and enjoyed a performance of the entertaining Grega the Magician, the organisers of the humanitarian campaign presented the results of this year’s campaign to the media.

SAFY and Lek, a Sandoz Company, holding for the fourteenth year in a row the charity campaign A Wink at the Sun

The Slovene Association of Friends of Youth and its long-term partner Lek, a Sandoz company, organised this year A Wink at the Sun for the fourteenth time in a row. At the national level, this year’s campaign provided free holidays for around 300 children, however, the campaign being very strong also at the level of local associations and societies of the Friends of Youth, around 1,000 children in total are expected to enjoy a free holiday with the Friends of Youth at the PanSlovenian level. With the help of funds from the Fiho Foundation, 100 children with special needs will be going on holiday this year with the Association of Friends of Youth. The final total number of free holidays will be known in the Children’s Week at the beginning of October.

Secretary General of the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth Karin Elena Sánchez: »We are pleased to see that the response from donors is still very strong and that despite the difficult times people are always willing to help children. The objective of the Wink at the Sun humanitarian campaign enabled the children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds to spend holidays in the company of their peers in a pleasant, relaxed environment. Many of them have never been on holiday at all. And for the majority, the holidays organised through this campaign are their first contact with fun packed, carefree time, excellent food and relaxation. Among mischievous peers, under the watchful eye of kind and caring carers and other kind hearted staff the children sense how it is to BE a child. When acceptance, care, fun, laughter, healthy food, exercise and youthful playfulness are not merely in their unfulfilled dreams, but a daily reality«.

Over 14 years, 200,000 Euros and more than 20 Lek Sunshine Games

During the past 14 years of the humanitarian campaign A Wink to the Sun, Lek allocated more than 200,000 Euros to enable free holidays for children and for more than 10 years Lek has been organising the Sunshine Games which make the children’s summer holidays even brighter.

When visiting children in Kranjska Gora, Zvone Bogdanovski, member of the Lek Board of Management, said: »We are delighted to hear that with the help of the Wink at the Sun charity campaign more than 9,000 children have taken holidays to date. This means, that for 14 years we have been contributing to building an initiative which has developed into a trustworthy pillar of support for Slovene children and is sustaining its momentum despite the difficult economic situation when helping children from socially deprived families is now even more important. Throughout the number of years co-creating this campaign we enjoy visiting the holiday resorts and seeing the children’s happy faces which always fill us with energy. We are glad to see that we brighten their summer holidays with the Lek Sunshine Games – we have organised over 20 so far. Also this year we would like to thank all of the volunteers and employees of SAFY and its local associations and societies throughout Slovenia who have worked for a better life and a better future for our children, and we are at the same time calling on other companies even in these difficult times not to forget about those who need our help the most – the children.«

More information

Karin Elena Sánchez
SAFY Secretary General

Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth
Miklošičeva 16
1000 Ljubljana
tel.: 01/ 2396 720
fax.: 01/2396 722
e-mail: karin.elena.sanchez@zpms.si
web: www.zpms.si