The Athletic Club Foundation participates in the cleaning of plastic waste and cigarette butts within the framework of the solidarity challenge “Abracemos el mar”
Coinciding with International Mother Earth Day, the Athletic Club Foundation participated yesterday, Tuesday, 22nd April, in a day of plastic waste and cigarette butts collection as part of the ” Abracemos el Mar” initiative, a solidarity challenge to raise awareness about the cleanliness of our seas and the dangers of climate change on the planet. Bilbao has been the first stage of the journey of the solidarity swimmer Alberto Lorente and the Physical Education teacher Enrique Herrero, “Quique Bolsitas”.
At 11:00, members and technicians of the Foundation’s Utopia, Genuine and Walking Football projects carried out a collection of cigarette butts from Itsasmuseum to Gran Vía, under the name “Colillatrón”. They also attended the event Johana Ruiz-Olabuenaga, the director of Athletic’s Great Social Area; the vice-president of Athletic Jon Ruigómez; Carlos Sergio Achotegui, general director of Sports of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and Amaia Agirre, mayor of Getxo.
After the cigarette butts collection, swimmer Alberto Lorente jumped into the estuary from a trampoline, and he began his swim from the Maritime Museum to Getxo: a journey of more than 15 kilometres in approximately three and a half hours.
The associations invited to the collection of plastic waste in Ereaga were the Argia Foundation, HD Las Arenas, AVIFES, Fidias Lamiako, Utopia, Walking Football, HDErandio, Bizitegi, Bakuva, Gizakia Bilbo, Genuine, HDBaraka, Santurtzi Residence, Ortarazi, Berango Senior Residence, IMQBilbo, Adsis, Adizmi-Baraka and Ahalegina.
From 23 April to 10 May, solidarity athletes Alberto and Quique will go through 13 more stages, passing through Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia, Andalusia, Murcia, Valencian Community, Catalonia, Canary Islands, Ceuta and the Balearic Islands. The “Abracemos el Mar” initiative has a triple objective: to raise awareness about the pollution of seas and oceans, to warn about the effects of climate change and to mobilise citizens and administrations to actively participate in the cleaning and conservation of coasts.
The Foundation’s involvement in this action reinforces its commitment to sustainability and its commitment to promoting values and educational initiatives such as respect for the environment, social responsibility and care for the planet.
