Kaizen Foundation, the Social Purpose Foundation funded exclusively by Kaizen Gaming, is today announcing its inaugural partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children, supporting the “10,000 Smiles” project. This initiative will provide 10,000 UEFA EURO 2024™ match tickets to associations working with vulnerable children, bringing them joy and unforgettable experiences.

The UEFA Foundation for Children is offering EURO 2024™ match tickets to children aged 8 to 16 from underprivileged backgrounds and children with disabilities from 8 to 21 years old. Selection is coordinated with each host city based on their unique priorities.

“We are truly honoured to become partners of an organisation, such as the UEFA Foundation for Children. We are a very young organisation, but from the very beginning, the Kaizen Foundation has shown its commitment to improving the lives of children. With grants surpassing €4 million in recent months, we have launched the renovation of the Penteli Children’s General Hospital in Greece and we have completed the renovation of a critical section of the Pitesti Pediatric Hospital in Romania. Now, we will be supporting the UEFA Foundation for Children in helping 10,000 kids smile. The work UEFA is doing to ensure this year’s tournament leaves a lasting legacy is so important in ensuring all children everywhere have the opportunity to enjoy football”, said Panos Konstantopoulos, Kaizen Foundation President.

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Through this partnership, Kaizen Foundation and UEFA Foundation for Children will host 10,000 children across 40 matches in 10 different stadiums. The host cities and federal ministries will ensure compliance with child safety legislation, including calculating the number of adults needed to accompany the children and ensuring stadium accessibility. Special accommodations will be made for children with specific needs, including adapted seats, entrances, and travel arrangements. The host cities will also organise transportation to and from the stadiums and obtain parental authorisation in cooperation with partner organisations.

“Working with the Kaizen Foundation for our 10,000 Smiles project has been amazing. It was clear from day one that its team shared our vision and dedication to bring the joy and excitement of live football to children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with disabilities,” said Kluser Urs, General Secretary of UEFA Foundation for Children. “Having support from organisations like the Kaizen Foundation is critical in allowing us to achieve our goal of improving access to sport and bringing smiles and hope to children who need it most. We are looking forward to collaborating with the Kaizen Foundation for more initiatives in the future”.