The first Children's Advocacy Centre in the Czech Republic was established in Prague to help children at risk, and we are pleased that we were able to contribute to its establishment with pro bono legal advice. In practice, it takes months to a year for abused children to reach a specialist who can provide them with the specialised help they need. During an investigation, children must undergo forensic examinations, interviews with social workers, or questioning by the police and the court. As many as 29 different people talk to them.
At the Children's Advocacy Center, launched by the LOCIKA Center in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Sirius Foundation, and other institutions, children can now complete this challenging process in one place. Officials, police officers, doctors, and psychologists will come directly to them. This ensures that children receive professional help promptly and in a safe environment.
For one full week in September, we put on our running shoes and raced to do a good deed in Prague's Letná park, where the traditional charity run TERIBEAR hýbe Prahou, an event designed for everyone who wants to help, took place.
Neither the time, the running style, nor how much a person had trained was the deciding factor. Every kilometer counted and the amount of money we ran for went to support abandoned and endangered children under the patronage of the Tereza Maxová Foundation.
Sweet macaroons, fluffy cakes, luxurious Christmas cakes, sponge cakes, muffins, chocolate pralines, as well as fancy meatloaf and other delicacies – after a two-year Covid break, we have resumed the tradition of charity breakfasts before Christmas. Some colleagues cook and bake and others shop. We then donate the money to a good cause.
Thanks to the skilful cooks and chefs and our hungry colleagues we broke the record and raised CZK 51,055. The office doubled and rounded the amount, so CZK 105,000 was donated to a good cause. We divided the proceeds and sent them to People in Need to help Ukraine, to support Memory of Nations, and to Plant for the Planet, an organization that fights climate change by planting trees.
During the Advent season, the Slovak National Theatre Opera and Ballet Hall in Bratislava was full of celebrities from Forbes magazine covers. Not only was the personality of the year announced at the prestigious Top Covers 2022 evening, but attendees also lent a helping hand. A traditional charity auction was held and guests bid on experiences and artwork. Thanks to the guests, the charity auction raised over EUR 139,000.
And we were there. As a partner of the event, HAVEL & PARTNERS also contributed EUR 3,000 (CZK 75,000) to support three non-profit organizations helping children and people suffering from mental disorders. We split it equally between Children with Cancer, Buddy, which supports children who cannot grow up in their families, and the Mental Health League.
