Toys for joy charity match in Velez-Malaga

Velez-Malaga town hall, Jose Santacruz Football School and Juventud Veleño Football Club joined forces to ensure that every child could start 2025 with a new toy.

With input from the Fundacion Olivares, which assists children with cancer, they organised the ¡Juguetes para una ilusion! (Toys for Joy) initiative, a charity match played on January 4 between the football school instructors and “old boys” from the Juventud team.

“It is very important do our bit for such an important task,” Sports councillor Alicia Ramirez said before the match.

She was accompanied by the football school’s president, Isaac Lopez Doncel, and Juventud Veleño presiden,t Oliver Postigo, as she called on the local population to attend the match en masse, bringing a new toy as an admittance fee.

All three had already done everything possible to collect as many toys as they could for children who had to see Christmas go by without receiving a present, Ramirez added.

The morning began with a match with the very youngest members of both the school and the team, who are aged between five and seven, together with raffles, games and fun activities before the main event began at mid-day.