“UN SOL PARA LOS CHICOS 2007” raises more than $1 million for UNICEF projects in Argentina

UNICEF Argentina’s annual TV Telethon “Un sol para los chicos”, hit new highs this year, raising more than $1-million for UNICEF projects in the country.

Argentina’s Channel Thirteen, UNICEF, and the Fundación Noble of the Clarín Group launched this year’s programme in support of Argentine children and adolescents. The four-hour show, hosted by national celebrities Ernestina Pais and Matías Martin, attracted many of Argentina’s biggest stars to Buenos Aires’, Luna Park, including NBA superstar Manu Ginóbili, who was just recently named a UNICEF Ambassador for Argentina; Natalia Oreiro; Andrea del Boca; Martín Palermo; Boca Junior football stars, Sebastián Battaglia and Mauricio Caranta; Agustín Pichot (Los Pumas); Andy Kusnetzoff; Nicolás Cabré; Soledad Fandiño; Felipe Colombo; Andrea Pietra; Martín Seefeld; Agustina Cherri; Eleonora Wexler; Florencia Torrente; Débora Pérez Volpin; and Nik.

The show featured videos of celebrities who traveled to UNICEF-supported projects across the country to report on the results achieved for children. Other videos gave children the chance to tell their own stories, including.

Lorenzo, aged four, who has serious disabilities and is one of 350 boys and girls who benefit from a programme called “Different Capacities”, supported by UNICEF in the province of Misiones. The project promotes the education and rehabilitation of children with disabilities and aims to reintegrate them into their families and communities.

Santiago and his friends in Humahuaca, Jujuy, who participated in a TV project called “One Minute for my Rights”. The project broadcasts one minute films in which young people share their views. The initiative is now operating in seven provinces and aims to promote the participation of adolescents and a culture where their rights are protected.

Claudio Sosa, an adolescent from Villa Fiorito who has returned to school, thanks to the Program “Challenge”. The program reaches over 2,550 children and adolescents in the Province of Buenos Aires, encouraging school drop-outs to return to school and complete their education, while also receiving job training. The nearly sell-out crowd in Luna Park got to enjoy the music of Ricardo Montaner, “Patito Feo” “High School Musical, La Selección” and “La Mosca”, first-hand. The hundreds and hundreds of people outside the stadium, also got a chance to greet the celebrities, since a special stage was built for the occasion.

To mark the 16th anniversary of the telethon, the show ended with the appearance of 16 young people, all beneficiaries of UNICEF projects in the country, as well as teachers, nurses, community leaders, social workers, adolescents, representatives of indigenous communities and physicians, who shared their experiences of working with UNICEF. At the end of the show, Manu Ginóbili, Gladys Acosta Vargas, UNICEF Representative in Argentina and Nils Kastberg, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the record total raised: Ar$ 4,233,356, (more than $1million) thanks to the generous support of the public and pledges of commitment from a wide range of businesses.