EDITORIAL News OKD Miners` Festivities

OKD Foundation No. 9/ October 2009
For Health
For Joy
For Europe
For the Future
EDITORIAL These days, two foundation activities are starting - OKD Foundation Awards and the St. Barbara Collection. You can
read about both projects that will restrainedly become the key foundation events of this year in this Bulletin and in the
other materials that we have sent you before and that you will get from us.
You may say: Just now we have the most work. We start to resume this- year's activity and on the other hand we are
in a hurry to fill in application forms for grants from ministries or foundations with their deadlines at the end of the year;
also December is approaching with its Christmas parties, events for sponsors, and we also have to find time for
baking Christmas cookies and cleaning our apartments.
So why should one bother to filling in registration forms for a competition of the OKD Foundation Award when the
chances of winning are slim? In a way you are right, you may not win anything. But by filling in the nomination form
(that we really tried to simplify for you) you will get valuable points for your non- profit organization. Not only in the
foundation, but also with famous personalities that will be judging the nominations and in particular with the general
public as new people will learn about your activities who may become your new supporters or sponsors. And what is
more - it may be you who will win.
Vladislav Sobol spokesperson of the OKD Foundation
News
OKD Miners' Festivities
The Foundation Town saw a big first run at the traditional OKD Miners' Festivities. On the
first Saturday in September, almost 40 organizations supported by our foundation were
presented in Božena Němcová's Park in Karviná. Non- profit organizations prepared an
attractive program and an interesting insight into their own activities.
All the organizations were rewarded by interest of thousands of visitors in their activities.
Here is just one opinion for all: "We would like to thank you for the opportunity to take part in the OKD festivities and to
present our activities. The reaction of our members of the local Ostrava group was enthusiastic. I believe that visitors
to the festivities were interested in small logical tasks and they were something new for them as well as a nice
challenge, as was participation at the festivities for our members," Tomáš Blumenstein, the Chairman of Mensa,
Czech Republic, wrote to us.
Foundation Mascot Still Looking for its Name
I was born at the end of winter this year when the first snowdrops budded from the ground.
We met in the spring during the "OKD Foundation Day" in the Ostrava ZOO at opening of the house "Small
Amazonia".
Children from children's homes and from the St. Barbora Civic Association visited the Summer Shakespeare
Festivities with me.
You can find me at each place where the OKD Foundation helps people in need. For example in the Nový Jičín
Region and the Jeseník Region where
we were helping during the flood in the summer.
Yes, we managed a lot during the spring and the summer and I became the face of the OKD Foundation. Unlike all of
you I have no
name. Can you help me find some? I am looking forward to your suggestions. You can send them via e- mail:
[email protected] or through the poll at the website www.nadaceokd.cz. Add your mailing or
e- mail address so that we can send the award to the author of the winning idea.
St. Barbora Collection: Who are we going to help?
The OKD Foundation has prepared a public collection among the staff of your mining company. Decide who the
foundation will support using the collected money. You can find more information at our website www.nadaceokd.cz.
Supported Projects
People on Wheelchairs Compete in Atmosphere of Magic and Wizardry
Twenty seven teams of handicapped people from the Czech Republic and Poland met on 9
September in Bohumín at the 13th year of the sports and social games of people on wheelchairs
that were organized by the House of Security in Bohumín (also thanks to contribution of the OKD
Foundation in the amount of CZK 34,500). People on wheelchairs, mostly retired people, really
enjoyed the event. They came in interesting costumes. For example, the oldest participant, a
hundred years old Helena Bechová was dressed as a witch similarly to the rest of her team from
the Home by Lake in Hlučín and she was moving through the hall of the house of culture with a
scull in her hand. The team from the Home for Elderly People Čujkovova in Ostrava- Zábřeh
achieved the biggest success. Readers of the Bulletin know the winning facility, the foundation has already supported
purchase of wheelchairs to showers there.
Multi- Purpose Playground in Koblov for General Public and for Pupils
The first multi- purpose playground in the Silesian Ostrava District opened its gates on 10
September in Koblov. The OKD Foundation supported significantly its building, which is
symbolical according to the district mayor Antonín Maštalíř. "Our district had the most
mines," explained the mayor. The playground will be used by the general public from Koblov
and Antošovice and in the mornings also by pupils of the nearby school.
5 Thousand People at Traditional Třebovice Cake
A purely folklore event before, now a big folk jamboree popular among people from Ostrava
and the environs - this is the festival entitled the Třebovice Cake. This year, about five
thousand visitors came, which is the record number in the six- year history of the festival.
The audience was entertained by folklore assemblies from the entire Czech Republic, and
also by folklore performers with the highlight of Žalman and Nezmaři or famous cymbal
bands. The OKD Foundation supported the event with 50,000 crowns.
New Beds for St. Lucas Hospice
Four new beds will serve as early as before the end of the year to the people in need in the
Ostrava St. Lucas Hospice which is the only facility like this in the Moravian- Silesian Region.
Two new rooms will contribute to solving the problem of insufficient capacity. While hospice
services are common in other countries, the general public in the Czech Republic is only getting
used to them, which is apparent particularly in difficult search for money for their operation.
Thanks to its foundation, OKD is one of the first big companies that support facilities like this.
Beside the contribution from the OKD Foundation, the hospice operators received funds also
thanks to the charity concert and donor text messages.
Park for Children and Adults Appeared in Klimkovice
The rope pyramid, the sports ground, the multi- purpose children's castle and the sports
climbing frame - these are the main elements in the new Park which was built in Klimkovice
under the auspices of the Family Centre Želvička by volunteers from the entire municipality.
The OKD Foundation contributed 350 thousand crowns to it.
Ostrava Welcomed World- Famous Puppeteers Thanks to Support by
OKD Foundation
At the turn of September and October, the Moravian- Silesian capital hosted the 8th year of
the international puppeteer festival SPECTACULO INTERESSE Ostrava 2009. The main
partner of the best- known puppeteer festival in the Czech Republic was the OKD foundation
with its grant of 200 thousand crowns. The program featured 25 performances by actors
from seven national theatres and eleven foreign assemblies. Actors from Poland, Slovakia,
Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Great Britain, Russia, Spain or Canada performed their
art in Ostrava.
Open Day in St. Alexandr Charity
The project of Restoration and Use of the Protected National Monument of Underground Coal Mine Alexandr for
Social Purposes was realized with help of the OKD Foundation which contributed to the entire project. The most
important part of the project was actually preservation of the protected national monument of the Kočárovna building.
On this occasion, the St. Alexandr Charity organized the open day that we were glad to take part in. The event
organization was great and a lot of good work could be seen in it as well as the potential for use in the future. There
were many project partners, particularly from the social area. Also visit to sheltered workshops, the textile and the
furniture ones, was a part of the event, which was really worth it.
In both workshops, handicapped people produce interesting things. Products from the ceramic and textile workshop decoration and utility could be seen and bought at a stand at the yard.
In the afternoon, the atmosphere was livened by the cymbal band Ondřejnica. The charity organization showed
everybody that long- time and systematic work
in helping handicapped people to work is worthwhile.
Turtle Garden for Handicapped Children in Bohumín
Children from the Bohumín day- care centre Salome operated by the Silesian Diaconia have
the reason to rejoice. In September, they received the original Turtle Garden with interactive
elements. It was built by the civic association Vesica for children with various types of
handicap with contribution from the municipality, the OKD Foundation and the other sponsors.
With its shape and attractions, the Turtle Garden supports therapeutic and relaxation
activities of autistic, mentally and physically handicapped children. Its mission is to connect
the worlds of the children from the day- care centre and children from ordinary nursery and
elementary schools. Salome wants to continue transformation of the day- care centre garden
and to create a place where handicapped people can meet with healthy people. The day- care centre plans to attract
the inhabitants of the adjacent housing estate as well.
School TV Broadcast
Thanks to the OKD Foundation of 70 thousand crowns, the project of "TV News in our
School" could be started in the Elemenatry School Ostrava- Bělský les. Since May 2009,
pupils has shot, edited and further adapted videos that they broadcast in TV sets placed in
corridors. The audience can also find them at the school website and at YouTube. The
opportunities of the project for children are great.
They can learn how to write a script for a program, they try to use a camera, they become reporters for a while with a
microphone or a radio newsreader. At a computer they learn to adapt the created material - edit, mix sound, provide
subtitles, etc. Pupils can not only create reports from the school life, but also interviews, coverages or original
advertisements. They can go outside school with the camera, e.g. to various institutions (including the OKD
Foundation) or to interesting places in Ostrava. Children create the school TV not only during lessons, but also in the
hobby group with the original title "Camera, Clapperboard, Let's Go". (Jan Goj)
Invitation
Charitable Concert
Monday 2. 11. at 5 p.m., House of Culture in Orlová
Charitable concert to support handicapped people and youth from Orlová and the environs, in which children from
non- state day- care centre Duha "Petr Bende Band" will present their performance.
(entrance fee starting at CZK 100).
Copyright (c) 2009 OKD Foundation.
www.nadaceokd.cz