Atletico Madrid to work with NGO on charity projects

La Liga club Atletico Madrid has agreed to collaborate with the NGO Save the Children on charitable projects in Spain and Mexico, it was jointly announcement at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium here on Wednesday.

The Save the Children logo is to appear on Atletico's jersey for their European competition matches this season as part of the "Alliance for Childhood", reports EFE news agency.

"This agreement allows us to join forces with Save the Children and launch aid programs against child poverty, as well as creating safe spaces for children in poverty and in transit," Atletico President Enrique Cerezo said.

The NGO's projects are located in the Madrid neighborhoods of Pan Bendito and Vallecas and the Mexican states of Puebla and Chiapas.

This collaboration includes support for Save the Children's emergency campaigns, which in 2017 numbered 121 across 61 countries serving 10 million children.

Save the Children Spain CEO Andres Conde thanked Atletico for its commitment to kids, saying "We both share the same colors, our values of courage and our fight for what's important. We both prioritize children, because they are the most sacred thing, and the transmission of values through football."

Conde added that the NGO and the club began their charitable relationship following the earthquakes that occurred in Mexico in Sept. 2017.

Atletico defender Juanfran Torres also praised the deal, explaining "It's touching to see how Save the Children helps all the kids in need."

Save the Children has been working in Spain for 20 years with programs to protect children and infants from poverty and social exclusion.

--IANS

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