The Scouts of Greece and the “ORAMA ELPIDAS” Association laid the foundations for a broader cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at raising the awareness of the younger generation regarding the importance of the voluntary donation of bone marrow and the registration of new voluntary donors.

The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on 16 January 2019 at the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” Paediatric Oncology Hospital, by the President of the “ORAMA ELPIDAS” Association, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, and the President of the Scouts of Greece, Mr Isidoros Kanetis, and its purpose is to attract volunteer bone marrow donors and inform and raise the awareness of the young in particular, as well as the general public in general, regarding the importance of the voluntary donation of hematopoietic stem cells for transplant in patients suffering from life-threatening haematological, neoplastic and genetic disorders.

Mrs Vardinoyannis welcomed the President of the Scouts of Greece, Mr Isidoros Kanetis, to the Paediatric Oncology Hospital: “This is a highly important day for us, seeing our effort embraced by yet another great ally, the Scouts of Greece. A historical organisation of volunteering and social contribution, which for the past century has been offering great things to our country, by instilling values, principles and skills in successive generations, helping raise the awareness of citizens and building a better world”.

Mr Kanetis took the floor to thank Mrs Vardinoyannis for her warm welcome and the opportunity she is offering to the Greek Scouts to support the work of the Association and her invaluable services for the treatment of childhood cancer in Greece and worldwide. The Scouts of Greece, faithful to their duty towards their fellow citizens, are eager to join this fight for hope and life and to become not only volunteer donors but to further volunteer their time towards disseminating the messages of the “ORAMA ELPIDAS” Association across the country.

After signing the agreement, Mrs Vardinoyannis awarded Mr Kanetis the honorary plaque of the “ORAMA ELPIDAS” Association, and they later placed on the “Wall of Stars” of the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” Paediatric Oncology Hospital the star of the Scouts of Greece, next to the names of the great supporters of the ELPIDA and ORAMA ELPIDAS Associations.

The President of the Scouts of Greece was accompanied by the Vice-President of the Board, Mrs Vasso Kollia, the Secretary General of the Board, Mr Kostas Patiniotakis, the Public Relations Consultant, Mr Konstantinos Efraimidis and PR Manager, Mrs Maria Bena. The Vice-President of the Board, Mrs Vasso Kollia, announced that the first activity of the Scouts of Greece as part of this collaboration will be to include in the large scout family all the children hospitalised at the “Marianna V. Vardinoyannis-ELPIDA” Paediatric Oncology Hospital and all the children staying in the Guest House of ELPIDA.

It is worth noting that the “ORAMA ELPIDAS” Association, at the initiative of its President, Mrs Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, has created the Volunteer Bone Marrow Transplant Bank, in order for everyone in need of a transplant to be able to find a compatible donor.

From its founding and to this day, the Association has registered more than 75,000 new volunteer bone marrow donors, 38 of which have been found compatible so far, giving the hope of life to 38 of our fellow human beings.