In less than a month, on September 7th, students across Croatia will once again take their seats at school desks. For some, it will be a return to familiar hallways, while for others, the first day of school will mark the beginning of an entirely new chapter in their lives.

The start of the school year should be filled with positive excitement, joy and anticipation of everything that comes with a new step on the path of growing up. However, while some joyfully choose new bags, notebooks and pencil cases, many students face worries that should be far from childhood. They wonder whether they will have basic school supplies and whether they will feel different from their peers due to their absence.

To ensure that as many children as possible start the new school year with equal opportunities, the Dinamo Foundation Never Give Up and GNK Dinamo are joining for the second consecutive year in the charitable initiative by Bruno Lerotić and his "Team Nenormalni". The goal of the "Never Give Up – Not at School Either!" campaign is to collect school supplies for children from children's homes, social welfare institutions and families of lower economic status.

Over 1,800 students equipped last year

Last year's edition of the campaign showed how much we can achieve when we unite around a common goal. Although the original plan was to equip 800 students, thanks to the great response from citizens, fans and partners, supplies were collected for more than 1,800 schoolchildren from across Croatia.

Donations reached children in Zagreb, Cres, Karlovac, Osijek, Petrinja, Pula, Sisak, Slavonski Brod, Split, Vodnjan and Zadar, as well as families from around forty villages and smaller towns where help is often harder to access.

This summer we want to show once again how big the heart of the Dinamo family is.

What are we collecting?

We invite all Dinamo supporters and people of good will and big hearts to join the campaign and donate or purchase:

• school bags – new or used, but clean, undamaged and without drawings
• pencil cases and school supplies – pencils, erasers, sharpeners, rulers and other items; supplies can be used but must be functional
• art supplies – crayons, markers, tempera paints, brushes and other necessary materials, new or used but in working condition
• notebooks of all formats.

Where can you bring donations?

School supplies can be delivered or sent by post to the address:

Darija Drnić

Ulica Slavka Kolara 18

Kuče, 10419 Vukovina

You can also bring donations in person:

• on Tuesday, August 18th, to the Dinamo fan zone before the Dinamo – Viking match
• on Saturday, August 22nd, to the Dinamo fan zone before the Dinamo – Varaždin match at Maksimir
• from August 19th to 23rd at the Maksimir Days event, at the sports ground of XV. gymnasium – MIOC
• on Sunday, August 23rd, at the "Living My Dream" tournament at NK Ban Jelačić pitches in Vukovina.

Important!

Please write on each package who the items are intended for, for example:

• "Girl – 5th grade elementary school"
• "Boy – 2nd grade secondary school"

To participate in the campaign, you don't need to donate an entire school bag filled with supplies. One set of crayons, one notebook, a pencil case or a pack of pencils might seem like a small thing, but to a child who lacks them, they can mean much more than we can imagine.

If each of the 20,000 fans in the stadium brought just one piece of school supply, together we would make a huge step towards our goal in just one day.

Let's help ensure that the first day of the new school year is filled with smiles, excitement and faith in a better tomorrow for as many children as possible. Because every child deserves an equal start.

For additional information, write to us at [email protected] or contact us through our social media channels.

Never Give Up – Not at School Either!