Italian Sailing Clubs Host Ukrainian Children from Chernobyl Disaster Area
Sailing to forget Chernobyl. About twenty children from the nuclear disaster area of 1986 were able to spend an entire day on the lake thanks to the collaboration between the Yachting Club of Torri, the local municipal administration, the Castle Scaligero Museum, the Italian Naval League of Garda, and the Arcobaleno association of San Zeno di Montagna. The children are hosted by various families from the Baldo-Garda area in Bardolino, Caprino, Costermano, Garda, Lazise, San Zeno di Montagna, Torri; some are also in Verona.
They are brought to Italy by the Arcobaleno association, formed by a group of mothers from the area. They host the children because it has been demonstrated that in just one month of staying in a non-contaminated environment, the children can lose between thirty and fifty percent of the absorbed radiation. The contamination in their land, Ukraine, arrives through food and locally cultivated raw materials. As a result, cases of young people affected by very serious illnesses are increasing alarmingly.
Bringing them to Italy for a month can save their lives. Thus, in the Baldo-Garda area, the Arcobaleno association was born, bringing together families willing to host these young guests. In two years, they have hosted about one hundred and fifty children, and the project continues. Two significant sailing clubs have also come forward to help: the Yachting Club of Torri, which has had four of its members on the Luna Rossa team, and the Italian Naval League of Garda.
A few days ago, the Ukrainian children hosted by families in Garda joined the four boats provided by the two sailing teams. With them were Russian physicist Anatolij Korotov and his wife Marina: immediately after the disaster, he worked at Chernobyl, and once he realized the severity of the situation, he founded the charity center Nadezha, the counterpart of the Italian association Arcobaleno.
The helmsmen of two of the boats were the presidents of the sailing clubs, Alberto Maria Sartori and Enrico Dall’Agnola. The cruise stopped at Torri and San Vigilio, with a swim offshore. The sailors’ welcome was warm: each child was able to take home a hat and a T-shirt from the Yachting Club.
After the lake outing, there was a visit to the castle. “It was a wonderful experience,” says Daniela Cressotti, president of the Arcobaleno association, “also because it demonstrated how an entire territory can contribute to these solidarity initiatives. We hope to meet more families, organizations, and associations equally willing.” Anyone interested can call 045.728.5170: the next therapeutic vacation is scheduled for December. Angelo Peretti