The entire Panathinaikos BC OPAP stood by the children of the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – ELPIDA Children’s Oncology Unit for yet another year, on Tuesday 11 February 2020, at the initiative of Mr Dimitris Giannakopoulos.
The Panathinaikos BC OPAP team was welcomed by the President of the ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with Cancer, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, the Administrator of the P&A Kyriakou and Agia Sofia Children’s Hospitals, Mr Manolis Papasavvas, and the Board members of the ELPIDA and ORAMA ELPIDAS associations.
“I thank the entire Panathinaikos BC team and especially Mr Dimitris Giannakopoulos, as they are always standing by us and embrace the large family of ELPIDA and mainly our children. Your support is invaluable,” said Mrs Vardinoyannis while welcoming the athletes.
On behalf of Panathinaikos BC OPAP, the President, Mr Manos Papadopoulos noted,“It is a great pleasure and honour for all of us at Panathinaikos to be visiting the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis – ELPIDA Children’s Oncology Unit for yet another year. As Mrs Vardinoyannis, mentioned, Panathinaikos BC and the Giannakopoulos family have always stood by this effort and I assure you that it is Ms Dimitris Giannakopoulos’ personal wish for us to be close to these children.”
Note that the Panathinaikos BC OPAP team stands by ELPIDA and has been named “Champion for Hope”, while Mr Giannakopoulos personally supports the work of ELPIDA, donating for yet another year medications by VIANEX to the amount of €100,000 to the Children’s Oncology Unit.
In recognition of the great contribution of Panathinaikos BC OPAP and Mr Dimitris Giannakopoulos to the work of the ELPIDA Association, Mrs Vardinoyannis awarded honorary distinctions to the team executives and the ELPIDA Supporter Medal to all the players.
On its part, Panathinaikos BC OPAP gave a symbolic gift to Mrs Vardinoyannis: the official team kit, signed by all the team players.
Immediately afterwards, the athletes of the basketball team visited the young patients of the Unit, were photographed with them, and gave them beautiful gifts!
The following individuals visited the Children’s Oncology Unit: management executives Manos Papadopoulos, Michalis Georgantis, Vasilis Parthenopoulos, Zoi Nikolaidou and Apostolos Liongas; players Ioannis Papapetrou, Giorgios Papagiannis, Konstantinos Mitoglou, Ian Vougioukas, Nikos Pappas, Nick Calathes, Giannis Athinaiou, Konstantinos Papadakis, Nikolaos Persidis, Deshaun Thomas, Wesley Johnson, Jimmer Fredette, Jacob Wiley, Tyrese Rice, Andrew Rautins and Ben Bentil; coaching team members Giorgos Vovoras, Dimitris Koustenis, Nikos Pappas and Giorgos Kalaitzis.
