21 August 2017
Juventus are to run a summer camp for children living in the area of central Italy hit by last year's earthquake, offering them a unique opportunity to enjoy the club's “Gioca con Me” programme free of charge.
The camp will be held in Cascia, in the province of Perugia, from 27 August to 2 September.
The “Gioca con Me” initiative was set up and developed by the club in collaboration with the Turin UNESCO Centre and UNESCO. The aim of the project is to improve access to football for girls and boys from disadvantaged social groups, highlighting the role of the sport as a useful tool for encouraging a culture of respect, tolerance and social awareness.
“Gioca con Me” has been running in the province of Turin since 2012/13 and was extended to five international Juventus Academy sites (Tunisia, Lebanon, Colombia, Guatemala and Peru) starting from 2016/17.
This year, the project will focus on 127 youngsters between the ages of five and 17 from the Italian regions hit by last year's earthquakes, Cascia, Norcia, Leonessa, Preci and Cerreto di Spoleto specifically. The kids will be being treated to a week-long Juventus Summer Camp free of charge at the Stadio Comunale Santa Rita in Cascia.
It will include everything you expect from a Juventus Summer Camp: plenty of fun and training sessions run by qualified coaches following the club’s trademark philosophy, while ensuring the activities are suitable for the age groups participating. From Monday to Friday, the morning sessions will be dedicated to youngsters aged five to ten, with the afternoons for those aged between 11 and 17.
The contribution from local partners such as the Municipality of Cascia, Di Curzio Incoming and Società Sportiva USD Cascia Calcio has been vital for the summer camp to go ahead.
The camp participants, many of whom come from football clubs like Cascia Calcio, Norcia 480 and Norcia Calcio a 5, will receive the official adidas Juventus Academy kit, as they get involved in an unforgettable week of Bianconeri training sessions.
The camp will be signed off in style on Saturday 2 September with a closing ceremony featuring Juventus club mascot Jay!
The “Gioca con Me” summer camp in Cascia is the latest effort by Juventus to support the areas of central Italy devastated by the recent earthquakes. It follows a visit to Turin organised by the club in June for a group of children from Accumoli, Amatrice and Arquata del Tronto to have a look round Juventus Museum and an exclusive tour of Allianz Stadium.
After all, football is about integration as well as passion and enjoyment.
