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Culture > Associations > The All-Kytherian Athletics society

Culture > Associations

submitted by Rowan Parkes on 02.04.2005

The All-Kytherian Athletics society

The society was organized in 2000 with the goals of organizing sports for the island as well as various other cultural activities.
Members of the society:
Michalis Protopsaltis - chairman
Giannis Skarleas - vice-chairman
Manolis Cassimatis – treasurer
Anna Bourna/Despina Friligou – secrateries,
while founding members included: Vasilis Dafopoulos, Foteini Sigel, Fotis Kallinteris, Adoios Protonotarios and others.
The sports include so far: mostly football, also athletics and volley. The coach for the children’s football and often for the adults is currently Peter Galanakis, and the pitch is situated in Aroniadika, sponsored by the Kallipatiras society of Athens through their representative Marianna Vardinogianni. Three mini soccer championships have taken place so far.
A three day sports festival has also been organized, the first two days consisting of football matches with visiting children’s teams from Neapoli, while on the third day a race was organized in cooperation with the local blood donation organization.
Roughly 100 children of ages 7-13 and 100 people of 16 and over take part in the sports programs. The society has given a lot to the island in a very short time, as is well known the opportunities for entertainment during free time on the island are few and far between, and the organization of sports programs seems for many to have come as a god-send.
Sadly despite its many gifts to the island the society suffers from lack of interest and sponsoring. For the first time this year local authorities have taken some interest, apart from that the organization relies on scattered sponsors, one of whom was Mr. Karidis from Athens, another was from America, but alas the costs of the society remain often uncovered. They seem undaunted however and continue their own race like true sportsmen, and deserve warm congratulations from all sides for their efforts.

If anyone is able and interested in helping the Kytherian Athletics society by sponsoring or with supplies such as footballs etc, they can get in touch with them through Kythera-family.net.

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