MAY/JUNE 2015
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en and children in five of the world’s developing
countries. As team members, their individual do-
nations of $100,000 over four years will grow to a
total contribution of $6 million, funding initiatives
that will have a life-altering impact on child health.
Development of The 25th Team campaign began
last summer in partnership with Teck Resources
and Canada Soccer, said Sharon Avery, Chief
Development Officer for UNICEF Canada. Every
yeararound the world, 17,000 children under age
five die of preventable causes, she explained,
and the high-profile sporting event seemed like
the perfect opportunity to mobilize efforts and re-
sources to help increase survival rates. Since soc-
cer is played in almost every country worldwide
and UNICEF is working in every country but five,
it was a perfect match.
Each team member is responsible for making an
individual or corporate pledge of $25,000 per year
for four years. In return, they will have an oppor-
tunity to see the impact of their investments first-
hand by travelling to two of five countries where
programs by UNICEF Canada and The 25th Team
are operating. Over the course of the four-year
project, The 25th Team will journey to Cambodia,
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Namibia or Peru to witness
how improvements in health care, nutrition and
registration programs are being made. The wom-
en will pay their own travel expenses, ensuring
their $100,000 donations are spent on life-saving
programs.
“The great thing about women is that they want
to give collaboratively and they love working to-
gether,” Avery said. “Half are corporate women
and the other half are highly educated women
who are at home with their kids or retired, but
there’s an underlying idealism in all of them.”
Described as a “transformative personal experi-
ence”, participants will be invited to attend two
days of United Nations General Assembly meet-
ings in New York City each year and join in global
development sessions with international guest
speakers held quarterly.
Even more exciting, Avery said, is the multiplier
effect that happens when local governments see
positive results and commit their own funds to
rolling out national programs in their countries.
Avery is hoping to have all teammembers in place
by July 7. To learn more about joining or support-
ing The 25th Team, email
.
Sharon Avery (left) with UNICEF Canada Ambassador and
Canadian Women’s Team goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc at a
press conference in Dominica speaking about the issues
facing children in the island nation. The March 2015 visit
was part of UNICEF’s outreach prior to Canada hosting the
Women’s World Cup, the world’s largest women’s sporting
event in history.
