ZAHARA’S ‘TIME TO CELEBRATE’ AS IWC WATCH DESIGN RAISES FUNDS FOR LAUREUS
- ‘‘Our relationship with IWC Schaffhausen stretches back ten years and the engraved watch is very special and dear to us’ – says Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses
- ‘Laureus has an enormous influence on the lives of many disadvantaged children’ – says Olympic gold medal gymnast Li Xiaopeng
SHANGHAI, April 15, 2015 – The celebration of a goal by cheerleaders is perfectly captured in the design of 13-year-old Ugandan Nakayenga Zahara which is engraved on the back of an IWC Schaffhausen limited edition watch that will raise funds for Laureus.
Zahara was one of hundreds of children from Laureus-supported community projects worldwide who entered the annual competition to have their drawing selected for the engraving on the back of the Ingenieur Automatic Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good Foundation’.
The jury voted her design, showing three cheerleaders with pom-poms celebrating a goal and which encapsulated the theme ‘Time to Celebrate’, as the winning entry. Zahara’s picture now appears on the back of the limited edition watch, the sales of which will help to raise funds to support the work of Laureus.
Zahara grew up in the impoverished district of Nakulabye close to the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The area is severely affected by HIV/AIDS, and many of those infected are children. The Community Based AIDS Programme (COBAP) is based here and offers healthcare, rehabilitation and protection to people affected by HIV/AIDS. These children, thanks to financing from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, now have access to sports such as athletics, boxing, table tennis, volleyball and cycling. COBAP employees organize sports events and then use the half-time breaks to educate people about HIV/AIDS. Since the project’s inception, the rate of HIV infection has slowed and drug abuse amongst young people is steadily declining.
“Our relationship with IWC Schaffhausen stretches back ten years and the engraved watch is very special and dear to us. We receive so many beautiful drawings from children around the world, and you can see the many cultural influences in their art. The funds from the sale of this watch will go directly towards supporting our Laureus projects, and this gives children hope and dreams. Using sport for social change clearly works, and this is why our relationship with IWC has lasted this long. We look forward to it continuing for many years to come,” said Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses.
Goris Verburg, Managing Director IWC Schaffhausen North East Asia, said the ‘Time to Celebrate’ theme was chosen to reflect the success of the Laureus projects in their various communities.
“We are dedicated to sustainable action in this world, and as such we are very proud to be a partner with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. It’s a higher cause that Laureus is working for.”
Celebrated Chinese artistic gymnast Li Xiaopeng, a multiple Olympic gold medal winner and world champion, also attended the unveiling of the watch.
“The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation has an enormous influence on the lives of many disadvantaged children. Children exposed to dire circumstances, whether in the middle of a big city or war-torn region, need something to hold on to. Laureus projects give them a cause for optimism.”
The announcement was made at the Laureus World Sports Awards which is attended by legends of sport past and present and celebrates the achievements of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the year.
Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Since its inception, Laureus has raised €60 million for projects which have improved the lives of millions of young people.
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