Kids' Charity Gala
Zurich Crickets Cricket Club Beneficiary of Kids’ Charity Gala
For Zurich Crickets Cricket Club it seemed Christmas had arrived earlier this year when on 17th December Patrick Henderson, president of the club, was one of five persons who received a cheque of CHF 18,000 from the Kids’ Charity Gala organisers Daniel Model and Ruth Kauflin.
Founded in summer 2001 by Daniel Model, the organisers of Kids‘ Charity Gala aspire to support institutions, clubs and associations in the East of Switzerland that are providing opportunities to children and young people to discover and develop their abilities and skills.
On Saturday 10th November 2012, the 11th Kids‘ Charity Gala Evening took place. This year CHF 92,000 were raised at a dinner attended by 131 guests. All proceeds from the dinner, tombola and auction, as well as other donations were divided between this year’s five beneficiaries, chosen from the areas of sport, theatre and dance, music, and education.
The five winners were chosen according to five main criteria:
- Sustainability of their activities
- Credibility and professionalism of those persons managing these organisations
- Transparency of their structures and activities
- Relevance of their activities for children and youths
- Sphere of activity based in the east of Switzerland
Zurich Crickets Cricket Club, founded in 2004, is Switzerland’s largest cricket club with over one hundred active players, coaches and managers. The club offers youngsters the chance to spend their free time in a healthy and active manner, to interact constructively with their peer groups, and to meet with others from a variety of cultures, encouraging tolerance in a multi-cultural society. The club's philosophy mirrors that of the MCC guidelines for youth development, namely to provide a well organised competition that enables as many junior members as possible to enjoy the game of cricket, and for them to get the most out of their participation. Differential skills within the same team should not lessen the enjoyment and sense of achievement of player, regardless of standard.
The club is also an associate member of the Swiss Cricket Association and plays competing teams from across Switzerland as well as organises tours for junior teams to other European countries. In addition, Swiss national teams participate at European international tournaments at all levels, and Zurich Crickets CC has a number of players involved in these teams.
At the prize-giving the club was praised for its idealism, and the selfless commitment of the parents who run the club. The CHF 18,000 will go a long way to ensuring that in the coming years the club continues to offer youngsters in the East of Switzerland the opportunity to learn and enjoy cricket with its excellent facilities, special weekend camps and tours to other European countries.
