Ter Stegen sponsors the book Solidarity Stories of Sport

Marc-André Ter Stegen, FC Barcelona's goalkeeper, ​​is the sponsor of the 15th edition of the book Solidarity Stories of Sport, an initiative promoted by a group of more than 50 journalists from Spain and which has the support of the Barça Foundation.

The presentation ceremony was held on Thursday and in addition to the German, Pare Manel, promoter of the beneficiary of this edition, the Pare Manel Foundation, was present. The Pare Manel Foundation is a non-profit institution, rooted in the neighbourhoods of Verdum and Roquetes in Barcelona, ​​which develops and leads social and educational projects aimed at children, young people and families who are in a situation of social vulnerability.

The Solidarity Project of Sports Journalism was born 15 years ago thanks to a group of Catalan sports journalists who felt the need to help people, especially children and adolescents, who need resources and attention, and suffer from diseases that are often little known.

This is how the books 'Relatos Solidarios del Deporte' (Solidarity Stories of Sport) came about, always related to the first Barça team, except for the edition of two years ago, which was sponsored by Marc Márquez.

In 2005 it was Samuel Eto'o who sponsored the first book for the benefit of the Campaner Foundation, which fights against noma disease. He was followed in 2006 by Carles Puyol and Iván de la Peña (Department of Pediatric Surgery and Oncology of the Hebron Valley).

Then came Frank Rijkaard (Casal dels Infants) in 2007, Leo Messi (Catalan Association Fragile Syndrome X) in 2008, Xavi Hernández (Foundation Àlex) in 2009, Pep Guardiola (Clowns without Borders) in 2010, Andrés Iniesta (Association Sanfilippo) in 2011, David Villa (Sant Joan de Déu Hospital) in 2012, Éric Abidal (Catalan Association of Cystic Fibrosis) in 2013, Gerard Piqué (Guttmann Institute) in 2014, Javier Mascherano (Rett Syndrome) in 2015, Luís Suárez (Catalan Association of Disorders) Metabolics for PKU) in 2016, Marc Márquez (Esclat Association) in 2017 and, in 2018, Ernesto Valverde (Open Arms).

In the previous 15 editions, the book has collected more than 800,000 euros.

The Pare Manel Foundation and the Bavar Sports Association

For the current 2019 edition, Marc-André Ter Stegen will sponsor the book that is sold in El Corte Inglés stores. The benefits obtained will be allocated to a social project linked to the Pare Manel Foundation, which is carried out through the Bavar Sports Association to promote the social integration of children and young people through sports.

The social and educational task of the association has the main purpose of transforming the personal and social environment in which children and young people develop. This goal is achieved thanks to the formation of teams established as educational references for children and young people, with coaches and delegates.

The Babar Sports Association has 19 indoor soccer and basketball teams. The groups are made up of a total of 234 children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18. Through sports practice, participants work on values ​​such as responsibility, respect, friendship and creativity.

Travel companions of the Barça Foundation

The FC Barcelona Foundation joined this initiative declaring a League match as the 'Solidary Book Match' to promote this project. In this game, a representation of the beneficiary entity can be photographed with the Barça players before the match and representatives of the collaborating entities and the supporting journalists give the president a copy of the book in the Presidente Suñol Box.

Marc-André Ter Stegen statements:

"This is a very nice initiative and I am very pleased to be part of this project. When Pare Manel explained to me the work he did, I wanted to be part of helping him. With a small gesture, many things can be changed. It has taught me that I can return the luck that I have to many people. When I was little, I started on football pitches where it didn't matter what the colour of other children's skin was, where they came from, where they were born... it was a children's game, and this is the work that must be done, in places like Nou Barris... I hope that the Pare Manel Foundation can change many lives ".