During their Round 6 matchup, the two teams put their One Team programs front and center.
Reyer, Cedevita came together to celebrate One Team
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The clubs in the Euroleague Basketball family do an excellent job of showing the values of One Team, but Umana Reyer Venice and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana took things up a notch by joining forces to honor what the program represents.
A few weeks ago, on November 7, the Round 6 clash between Reyer and Cedevita at Palasport Taliercio in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season involved One Team participants from the Slovenian club travelling all the way to Venice for the game.
Reyer’s One Team participants included individuals from Co.Ge.S don Lorenzo Milani Società Cooperativa Sociale, which is a social entity that accommodates resident minors who are temporarily without parental care and minors who are in a state of neglect and/or who are subject to proceedings before the Juvenile Court, in addition to unaccompanied foreign minors and foreign minors seeking asylum.
Cedevita, meanwhile, gave children from the Youth Care Centre Malci Belic Ljubljana – a non-profit center that educates children and youngsters with emotional and behavioral problems, as well as those with learning disabilities – a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Palasport Taliercio.
Before making their way to Palasport Taliercio, however, the participants in Cedevita’s One Team program had a chance to visit the famous Italian city of Venice. Then, later in the day, Reyer opened its doors and allowed them to watch their heroes perform on the parquet.
But, there was a surprise. At halftime, the One Team participants of both Cedevita and Reyer came down onto the Taliercio court and were able to play together, which provided some added entertainment for those watching on from the bleachers during the interval. In what was an unforgettable experience for the One Team participants from both clubs, there were smiles all round.
Later, once the game had come to its conclusion, with Reyer winning 95-87, the One Team participants returned to the court for a group photo alongside both teams’ One Team ambassador. And don’t forget Reyer mascot LeoRay, too!
“Organizing the trip with the Youth Centre Malci Beliceve has been an incredibly rewarding journey,” said Cedevita’s One Team manager. “Witnessing the joy on the faces of these kids, who have faced challenges from broken families, as they explored Venice for the first time and enjoyed the game fills our hearts with immense happiness.
“Our mission is to create unforgettable moments, and seeing the spark of excitement in their eyes reminds us that every smile we bring is a step toward building brighter futures. Together we can make a difference, one unforgettable experience at a time.
“We would also like to thank Umana Reyer's One Team program, because they made us feel right at home at their game.”
For Rok, a 14-year-old who is part of Cedevita’s One Team program, he was overjoyed to have taken part in a game together with Reyer’s One Team participants.
“I had an amazing time and would like to say thanks to Matic, Samo and the whole Cedevita Olimpija organization, because they took us on this trip,” Rok noted. “It was my first time in Venice, and I hope we will travel to some more cities. The best thing for me was going to the candy shop and the game we had at halftime.”
Cedevita did a wonderful job of bringing joy to those in its One Team program that made the trip to Venice, and one of the reasons for the trip in the first place was to give these individuals a chance to see a world beyond Slovenia, with many having previously never been outside the country.
Reyer’s One Team program was delighted to welcome their counterparts at Cedevita for this Round 7 initiative, as the Italian club’s One Team manager explained.
"When Matic texted me explaining his idea, I was immediately excited about it. It was a pleasure inviting them to join our One Team group to watch the game together,” stated Roberta Meneghel, Reyer’s One Team manager.
“It was easy to organize it with the cooperation of Matic and Samo, because I think we both understand the spirit of One Team thanks also the workshop we did in Barcelona, where I met incredible people.
“So I thought that making the two groups playing together at halftime in front of all the fans could be an amazing experience for the kids. Different cultures, different races, different teams on the same court, but all with the same passion and love for the game. That’s how we can show everyone that #WeAreAllOneTeam."
Reyer and Cedevita worked together on this amazing project, showing exactly how amazing things can be when we work as a unit. As Cedevita made clear, seeing the participants’ smiles on the bus back to Ljubljana made this trip more than worthwhile and was a reminder just why its One Team program is so important.
After all, when it comes to our communities, we are all One Team.