(25 Oct) Ice-Skating for a Cause (+GAL)

Posted in News and Events. Written by Admin on October 25th, 2025

On 25 October, at the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia, the event “Ice Skating with a Cause” was held, organised by the Rotary Club Sofia-Serdika in cooperation with the Bulgarian Skating Federation (the national body for ice-skating).

The charity focus of the event was the long-running project of the club “Grandmother and Grandchild” (Баба и внуче), specifically in support of the children’s home in the town of Samokov.

We all know how vital the role of a grandmother has been in each one of our lives – how she taught us, cared for us, guided us. The “Grandmother and Grandchild” project echoes exactly that: it brings older women (“grandmothers”) into a caring, mentoring role for children from institutional care, particularly those with special needs. According to the description of the project, retired women (often former teachers, social-workers, nurses) spend several hours a day exclusively with children in a social institution – thereby becoming a surrogate family link and delivering emotional support, stability and trust.  

One of the children in the home was described as having a proven 85 % intellectual disability; thanks to the dedicated grandmother figure “Baba Masha”, they are now doing excellently in school, can read and write. This speaks volumes about dedication, hard work and love.

A big bravo to “Baba Masha”!

Children from ages 3 to 16 strapped on their ice-skates and beamed wide smiles. The event’s idea came from Mr. Nikolay Yanev, President of the club and one of its founding members; Mr Yanev is also a world-renowned figure-skating judge, having officiated at numerous world, European and national competitions.  

Everyone had fun skating, falling and laughing, and as a sweet finale they took part in a competition. 

We are proud to share that our Vice-President Ms. Ani Hristova won the silver medal after fierce competition with incredibly strong opponents! 

Ms. Hristova also received a certificate and a trophy for her participation. Bravo, Ani!

Rotary Club Sofia International congratulates its friends at Rotary Club Sofia-Serdika for the wonderful idea, the excellent organisation and for the outstanding project they have supported for years.

As a final note, we enjoyed homemade muffins and sweets and treated ourselves for the calories burned.

Get in touch with Rotary Club Sofia-Serdika, learn more about their work and help support their project: secretary@rotary-serdika.bg

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