Golden Hearts: the event that rewards the values of football

Great success for the Grand Gala organized by the Piedmont and Aosta Valley Regional Committee F.I.G.C. – L.N.D.

A Sunday under the banner of moral and social values because football is not just about draws, victories, or defeats. This is the concept behind “Golden Hearts – Champions in the Heart“, an event dedicated to amateur and youth football, which plays a fundamental role within small and large communities.

The evening, organized by the Piedmont and Aosta Valley Regional Committee F.I.G.C. – L.N.D., was held on Sunday 27 November in the splendid setting of the Nuvola Lavazza in Turin. Established to highlight the stories of those who, every day, devote themselves with passion and generosity to “our” football, the event saw the presentation of 23 awards: 17 to individuals and clubs whose history has contributed to conveying meaningful values of amateur football, 6 to young athletes who have distinguished themselves for fair play behavior.

The stories of all those who received the special recognition award drew from reports from affiliated societies, which were solicited by Regional Committee President Mauro Foschia and invited to communicate characters, facts and stories worthy of special attention.

The response was excellent and, among the many testimonies arrived, the most representative and touching ones were selected. “The purpose behind this initiative is precisely to bring out, on the one hand, the social value that sports clubs bring to their respective territories, and on the other hand, the importance of the synergies between the clubs themselves and the municipal administrations, as well as the various banking foundations that, personally involved, have shown themselves to be very sensitive to this type of initiative” commented the Regional Committee President Mauro Foschia.

Evidence of the event’s resonance was the presence on stage of the highest summits of our football: in front of an exceptional audience, the President of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina, the President of the LND, Giancarlo Abete, the President of the A.I.A. Alfredo Trentalange, the President of the National Youth and Scholastic Sector Vito Tisci, and many other leaders of the Federcalcio, Leagues, Sectors and Components of the FIGC took turns to present the awards.

Participations that show how the theme of the evening is very current and also shared at the top federal leadership. Also present were testimonials from the world of football and the institutional offices of the Piedmont Region and the City of Turin, sponsors of the event: Governor Alberto Cirio, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Turin, Michela Favaro, and the Regional Councilor for Sport, Fabrizio Ricca, along with several mayors of the most important cities in Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta.

The awards were divided into three categories: Youth, Managers and Sports Clubs. In particular, the Youth who received recognition were all related to fair play actions performed in the season just ended, while the awards to Managers and Clubs were given to those who distinguished themselves for meritorious activities carried out over the years.

Last category, that of Club, with three names on the shields. The first club stood out for a gesture of generosity: it was A.S.D. Moncalvo Calcio, which made Christmas donations to the Foundation for Research Against Cystic Fibrosis and donated part of the profits from some matches to refugee families from Ukraine. The other two clubs were honored for the social inclusion projects they are carrying out: the A.S.D. Sermig, which, with its “Arsenal of Peace,” has been participating in FIGC 5-a-side football for years and is constantly committed to the inclusion of young foreigners, employing almost only the latter in the youth teams; and the A.S.D. Sport Italy, which fights for the sports inclusion of differently abled children aged 6 to 17, using its own qualified coaches both in the gym and on the 11-a-side field.

Interspersed with moments of live music, the award ceremony was accompanied by the presentation of a symbolic memento by Patrimoni d’Arte, a Turin-based publishing company that specializes in recovering the humanistic and historical memory of ancient texts. The evening was also an opportunity to lend support to Compassion Italia, a nonprofit organization that deals with long-distance adoption to help children living in poverty, which was present with testimonial Nicola Legrottaglie, coach and former Juventus defender.

It was a beautiful event of inclusiveness and fair play organized by the Piedmont and Aosta Valley Regional Committee, once again pioneering an initiative that may become a fixture not only at home but also throughout the Italian amateur youth movement. For those who could not be physically present, moreover, it was possible to follow the event via live streaming, ensuring wide visibility to the issues discussed.

At Mediability, we are very keen about inclusivity, and as a communications company, we took care of everything from the press office to the organization and promotion of the event down to the smallest detail: from finding the location to managing the guests, from catering to the awards ceremony, bringing this wonderful evening to life.