Andriy Shevchenko fulfilled the dream of children of heroes

On 6 December, St Nicholas Day, the President of the Ukrainian Football Association Andriy Shevchenko met with the children of heroes, thus fulfilling one of their dreams. 

The event was joined by the wards of the Children of Heroes and Tribune of Heroes foundations, which take care of the children of fallen defenders, and the Zdiysny Mriyu social project from 1+1 media. 

The young fans had a unique opportunity to talk to Andriy Shevchenko in person, ask him a question, take a memorable photo with him and receive themed gifts from the Football Association.

‘Today, on St Nicholas Day, we had children visit the Football House, and we wanted to organise a real holiday for them - to meet them, talk to them and give them themed surprises. It was very nice to see their smiles. I hope they enjoyed it,’ said Andrey. 

In addition, the meeting was attended by another dreamer - Oleksandr Semenov, a student of the Superheroes School whose father is serving in the National Guard of Ukraine. The boy is currently undergoing treatment at Okhmatdyt, but despite everything, he dreams of becoming an outstanding footballer, as he is a player of the Uptown club. His greatest wish is to recover and return to training.

‘I am glad that children are interested in football and at such a young age already know so much about Ukrainian football, its history and our players. I believe that a footballer who will win the Ballon d'Or is already growing up in Ukraine. This is, without exaggeration, one of the most important goals for our football community. Despite the war, we have a lot of talented young people. Their passion and perseverance are the source of our inspiration and faith in the future,’ added Andriy Shevchenko.

As a reminder, in December 2023, 1+1 media relaunched the Zdiysny Mriyu social project, aiming to tell about children who bring our victory closer and help kids whose right to childhood was taken away by the full-scale war. During this time, the initiative's team has fulfilled a number of dreams of children of defenders. 

In addition, on 6 December, the first advertising block in the evening prime time on 1+1 Ukraine was traditionally dedicated to charity. All funds received from advertisers during this period will be used by 1+1 media in cooperation with the Liberty Ukraine Charitable Foundation to fulfil the material wishes of children who lost one or both parents as a result of the war.