Exodus Foundation Supports Youth Sports to Prevent Drugs and Crime
Not just intentions and kind words, but actions: this is how the Fondazione Exodus of Don Antonio Mazzi has been operating in sports for several years. It is a sports club that works differently: after careful research, it selects organizations to attempt prevention efforts to keep adolescents away from the dangers of drugs and crime. The approach has yielded results so far, and the numbers speak for themselves: from 500 members in 1999, the count has risen to 1,500; among these youths, only about fifteen are in recovery therapy.
The foundation, based at Casa di Beniamino in Cavriana, is active in Mantova, Brescia, Verona, and on the Island of Elba, where it supports a sailing team. Currently, it is engaged in various activities including equestrian sports, sailing, mountain biking, athletics, and teams for basketball and football. Noteworthy are the women’s volleyball team and the rugby team, both competing in Serie C championships in Veneto.
Activities and Projects
Giovanni Mazzi, dynamic organizational coordinator of the foundation and nephew of the more famous priest, explains: “With prevention as our goal, we focus on identifying organizations that can help us in this sense. Once we verify that their sports activity aligns with our expectations—primarily, engaging in youth-centered activities—we make every effort to support them, even financially, so they can continue their activities.”
In this regard, it is worth recalling the significant contribution that each year the Banca Popolare di Verona allocates—about one hundred million lire—which the Fondazione Exodus then carefully distributes to its affiliates. In Brescia, the recipient of this support is Evergreen Brescia, which participates in the Promozione men’s championship with its senior team. The club also boasts one of the most vibrant youth sectors in the province. It represents both a present and a future for the Fondazione Exodus.
Those who dedicate their activities to prevention cannot help but also consider the future, and so, alongside the current sports center in Cavriana, a new facility equipped with an ice rink will soon be built. The project is entrusted to Pierluigi Marzorati, an unforgettable captain of the national basketball team of the 1970s and now a highly regarded engineer.