A donation and volunteer promotion event of the Dream China AFC-CFA Social Responsibility Activities was held at Shanghai Sports School on May 23 2018. The event was co-hosted by AFC and CFA, undertaken by Shanghai Football Association, Cloud Football Corp. Titan Media Group, China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disability, Shanghai Sports Association for Persons with Disability, and Xinhua.com Sports Division, and supported by Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC, Shanghai SIPG FC and KELME (China) Corp..

The event was attended by the Head of the AFC Social Responsibility Department Dr. Annathurai Ranganathan, Executive Deputy Director of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference Office on Football Reform and Development of the State Council and CFA Vice President Li Yuyi, , Shanghai Football Association President Zhu Guanghu, Shanghai Sports Training Center for Persons with Disability Director Liu Jin, AFC Elite Referee Instructor Madame Zuo Xiudi, SIPG FC player Cai Huikang, Shenhua FC player Mao Jianqing, Shanghai Sports School Principal Sheng Maowu, Shanghai Sports School Secretary of the Party Committee Dong Shiqi, KELME Marketing Director Liu Zejun, and other leaders and guests. AFC and CFA donated a great number of football equipment to children of Shanghai migrant workers and representatives of the Special Olympics community of the Disabled Persons’ Federation.

“The CFA is a strong advocate of and committed to social responsibilities and public wellbeing. It works closely with nonprofit organizations and social establishments to stage various football themed public-interest events.” said CFA Vice President Li Yuyi at the donation ceremony. “Meanwhile, we are glad to see that more enterprises and institutions with strong sense of social responsibility, responding to the CFA calling for this cause, have joined in the development of public-interest football, giving more love and care to the society. They have also helped us inspire and deliver positive energy to the public via football.”

Children of Shanghai migrant workers and Special Olympics players from the Disabled Persons’ Federation played the games of the Football Fun Carnival. Mao Jianqing, Cai Huikang and other guests had a good time in the football games and played side by side with the children.

After the games, Mao and Cai, two professional players, said during an interview that it is their responsibility to help the kids enjoy the fun of playing football and feel the love and care from the society. Later 30 volunteers from Shanghai-based colleges had a special football match with the Special Olympics players from the Disabled Persons’ Federation. The event then concluded in a heartwarming and joyful atmosphere.

To better promote the football public-interest idea and ensure football bearing its social responsibility, the CFA rolls out a myriad of relevant activities along with the AFC each year. The CFA Dream China social responsibility activities aim at helping the vulnerable in our society, deliver positive energy and ensure football play a role for public interests in the form of football tournaments, football equipment and gear donations, training classes and lectures by working together with public-interest organizations. Several events have been held across China and highly welcomed by the public.

“The purpose of the AFC Social Responsibility Department is to help football give back to society and contribute power to social progress.” said Dr. Annathurai Ranganathan. “Recent years saw great efforts by the CFA for pubic interests. We believe it will make greater contributions in the aspect of social responsibility.”

The Dream China AFC-CFA Social Responsibility Activities Shanghai launching ceremony was held at Shanghai Sports School a day before. Dr. Annathurai Ranganathan, Head of the AFC Social Responsibility Department, Dr. Gwendolyn Pang, Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Country Cluster Support Team for China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Mongolia, and Shanghai football veteran Liu Qingquan and Gu Zhaonian attended the event and gave lecture to 60 youth physical education teachers and grassroots football coaches. Dr. Annathurai Ranganathan and Red Cross Society of China Shanghai Branch first aid instructor Liang Bin briefed the AFC’s ideas on social responsibility and first aid knowledge respectively. Liu and Gu shared football teaching experience with the participants, and gave them instructions in the field practice.

The two-day AFC-CFA social responsibility event was essential for the CFA to fulfill its social responsibility. The CFA hopes these activities can help more football practitioners understand the importance of fulfilling social responsibility, call for all walks of our society to care and love the vulnerable, attract more enterprises and organizations with strong sense of social responsibility involved in the cause, and pass the positive energy of football.

(edit：李鑫)