Words by Smiley Team
After winning its first medal in the Olympics, the Greek water polo team is going one step further for the Greek people by donating part of their winnings to victims of wildfires on the island of Evia.
The men's water polo team of 13 athletes will donate half of the money they will receive from Olympiakos football team owner, Vangelis Marinakis, to those who have had to flee their homes.
Team captain Giannis Foundoulis announced the move in a statement released by the Greek Olympic Committee, saying: "We want to thank Mr. Marinakis from the bottom of our hearts for his generosity and with a sense of responsibility and considering the difficult times that our country is going through, we consider it our duty to help in our own way, donating half the amount to the fire victims.
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"Finally, we want to thank all the Greeks for the support we have received all these days and we hope to make them proud."
After wildfires hit Greece’s second-largest island on Sunday, thousands had to evacuate, leaving most of their property behind.
As the fires continue to rip through the island, firefighters and volunteers are struggling to contain the blaze, including hundreds of volunteers from the Red Cross.
Antoine Belair of the Red Cross said: “Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies remain on high alert, providing support to affected populations, in close coordination with national authorities and firefighter teams.”
This is just one of the hundreds of fires that have broken out across Greece over the last few days. Such fires are increasingly frequent due to rising global temperatures.
If you wish to support victims of the wildfires in Greece and elsewhere in Europe, donate to the Red Cross here.
