On September 28 in the city of Horokhiv at the "Kolos" stadium, open football festivals took place, organized with the support of the Ukrainian Football Association and the Volyn Football Association, during which children from the Horokhiv community, besides festive mood and a desire to lead an active lifestyle, received equipment for further practice in their favorite sport.

Photo gorokhivrada.gov.ua

In August, community volunteers—coaches of the local Children's and Youth Sports School named after O. Balamut Vitaliy Hryasyuk and Yurii Loskutov—took part in a seminar organized by the UAF. Thanks to the knowledge they gained and their joint work with other volunteers directly involving the KDSHS, they managed to organize this festival.

Before the start of the event, all participants and guests honored the memory of fallen Ukrainian heroes with a moment of silence. The head of the humanitarian affairs department Volodymyr Zinchuk, deputy head of the humanitarian affairs department—head of the education section Tetiana Nychyporuk, and director of KDSHS named after O. Balamut Halyna Pryk, head of the community organization "Sun of Love," in their speeches highlighted the importance of holding such festivals and emphasized the great significance of physical education for children.

Photo gorokhivrada.gov.ua

An interesting sports event unfolded at six locations, namely:

— football pitches for playing and conducting various game and technical activities (four locations);

— a safety awareness area run by the State Emergency Service workers where schoolchildren learned about rules of behavior with explosive hazards;

— an area with a psychologist who taught children emotional resilience and communication skills.

Photo gorokhivrada.gov.ua

The celebration concluded with a solemn awarding of diplomas to the participants and provision of sports equipment, which will undoubtedly be useful for future champions.

The Horokhiv community expresses sincere gratitude to the UAF and AFAV for material assistance and hopes for further cooperation.

The "Open Football Festivals" project of the Ukrainian Football Association is:

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of ZSU servicemen, IDPs, and those affected by war;
• unity and friendship among IDP children and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of safety in wartime conditions;
• the philosophy of mass football—joy from playing rather than results at any cost;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activation of local communities through cross-sectoral networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, safety experts, parents, local authorities, patrons, etc.).