- Title: Hoopin' for Ukraine : NBA veteran Gortat raises funds with ball game
- Date: 16th June 2022
- Summary: LODZ, POLAND (JUNE 16, 2022) (REUTERS) START OF MATCH BETWEEN POLISH CELEBRITIES LED BY RETIRED NBA PLAYER, MARCIN GORTAT (RIGHT) AND POLISH ARMY UFC FIGHTER JAN BLACHOWICZ ON COURT AUDIENCE WATCHING MATCH GORTAT AND HIS TEAM ON THE BENCH CAMERA SCREEN SHOWING MATCH LIVE (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER POLISH NBA PLAYER AND EVENT ORGANISER, MARCIN GORTAT, SAYING: "Because of
- Embargoed: 30th June 2022 21:27
- Keywords: Basketball Marcin Gortat NBA Poland Sports Ukraine solidarity for Ukraine war in Ukraine
- Location: LODZ, POLAND
- City: LODZ, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Basketball,Europe,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001529916062022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Polish Army and Polish celebrities played a charity basketball game on Thursday (June 16) in Lodz, central Poland, to raise funds for Ukraine.
All profits from the event, organised by former NBA player Marcin Gortat, will go to various NGOs and organisations supporting the Ukrainian military, such as the Hospitals and a volunteer medical battalion.
It was the ninth edition of the match between celebrities and soldiers organised by Gortat Foundation MG13." (This year) we decided that we are not only going to promote basketball and respect for the uniform, but we are also going to raise money for Ukraine," Gortat said, adding they are hoping to collect up to 300,000 zlotys ($67,000).
The audience included the U.S. Ambassador to Poland Marek Brzezinski, the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych, and a group of Ukrainian refugees and veterans.
Among them, colonel Oleh Avtomiejko, a Ukrainian Army officer wounded in Mariupol in the early days of the war, who said attending the match was more of a psychological relief to him.
"I can recover from my wound and feel more or less in (touch with) the society,†Atomiejko added.
Polish Army beat Gortat Team 77-74.
(Production: Denis Dziuba, Olga Vyshnevska, Hedy Beloucif, Malgorzata Wojtunik) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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