Milky Way Race 2021
Virtual, inclusive and national - UNICEF humanitarian race for and with children with disabilities
- Hrvatski
- English
In order to grow and develop, children with disabilities need constant expert support. Needed services are still unavailable to many children with disabilities in Croatia. These children do not have the appropriate opportunities to develop their abilities and participate in daily life, play with friends, attend kindergarten, or school, and build their future.
UNICEF is organizing Milky Way Race to support establishment and expansion of daycare services for children with disabilities, introduction of group psycho-social support for children with disabilities and introduction of quality support programmes for parents in areas where currently are no available services for children with disabilities or they are extremely limited.
Again this year the race will be virtual, inclusive and national, via AtlasGo app.
Due to its virtual format, everybody can participate in the race and support girls and boys with disabilities, from 3 to 12 September 2021, wherever, whenever and however, no matter how old they are - by running, walking, cycling or in a wheelchair...
The Milky Way race takes place on thousands of paths throughout Croatia, and we collect kilometres of possibilities for 10 days!
Apply at mlijecnastaza.hr
Why do we participate?
In 2020, we have made positive changes together happen. We engaged thousands of people across the country, including, the media, experts, parents and decision makers to support better lives of children with disabilities, and secured funds (1,2 million Kuna) to equip new sensory cabinets and train therapists for sensory integration in areas where it did not exist before, where there are least services available.
In 2021, we want to raise as many voices and funds as possible to help open services for children with disabilities where they do not exist or are not sufficient, in some of the most deprived areas of Croatia.
With support from donors and partners UNICEF will support / contribute to:
- Establishment and expansion of daycare services for children with disabilities
- Introduction of group psycho-social support for children with disabilities
- Introduction of quality support programmes for parents (Growing Up together Plus)
UNICEF will invest funds raised in the campaign in:
- Specialized training of professional staff for the provision of daycare services, psychosocial support, parenting support
- Necessary equipment (didactic, furniture, other) for the provision of daycare services and group psychosocial support.
Helping children with disabilities and their families is important
In Croatia, for many children with disabilities, day care services and psychosocial support are still unavailable, especially in least developed areas.
Children with disabilities without access to the services of professionals do not have the appropriate opportunity to develop and participate in the lives of their communities. They face barriers to building their future and remain excluded from society. Their parents often feel alone and need support in caring for their children. With the pandemic and earthquakes, this situation has deteriorated.
Day care services and psychosocial support are an opportunity for children with disabilities to receive professional support, socialize with their peers, learn and acquire skills that will allow them to be more independent.
For children with disabilities, it is essential that they receive timely and quality support. This makes the difference between the opportunity to realize their potential and life on the margins of society.
How to participate?
Join Milky Way Race whenever, wherever...
It is not about the result or speed, it's about achieving the common goal together!
In the same T-shirts, we will turn didabilities into possibilities.
Take part with atlasGo app and be a part of the community that supports children with disabilities.
By selecting a start package you are making a donation for children with disabilities.
Apply at mlijecnastaza.hr
Milky Way Race is taking place from 3 to 12 September!
You can take part in the virtual race for 10 days in September (from 3 to 12 September 2021)
- Each registered participant can take part in the run whenever and for however long they want, and for as many times as they want
- Each participant can join the run multiple times through their profile in the app which traces their activity
- Over 10 days, the participants will collect kilometres as a symbolic contribution to the goal
- Access to the app is granted to everyone who applies for participation and downloads the app from the App store or Google Play Store
- Every participant has 3 ways of entering/sharing their activity – manually, by using the AtlasGo app or synchronising the app with other tracking applications, such as Garmin, Strava or Fitbit
The entire time we will be connected by the kilometres of possibilities we will collect, stories from thousands of paths, messages of support that we will exchange through the app, social networks and all other means of communication.
The T-shirts are orange, which is associated with joy, warmth, enthusiasm, encouragement and change.
This year, every medal for the stars of the Milky Way will be special. Unique medals and laces will be made jointly by children and experts at the "Mali dom" in Zagreb and the association "Tko se boji sutra još" from Vukovar.
Star packages
Odaberite jedan od zvjezdanih paketa koji uključuju i donaciju za podršku djeci s teškoćama:
Start package | Content | Donation (HRK) |
Early Golden Star | Donation + T-shirt + medal + application | 105,00 |
Golden Star | Donation + T-shirt + medal + application | 135,00 |
Little star (children) | Donation + T-shirt + medal | 75,00 |
Star | Donation + application | 75,00 |
