29 Nov 09 - Football: Pauleta Foundation auction raises 3,500 euros for São Miguel shelter

A shirt, a football and two paintings were the items auctioned by the Pauleta Foundation on Friday night during a fundraiser for São Miguel boys home Casa do Gaiato.

The event was attended by 120 people and raised a total of 3,500 euros.
 
Former athlete Nené Carreiro won the auction for the football and the shirt with which Pauleta became the all-time leading scorer for Portugal four years ago, surpassing Eusébio's record.

Meanwhile, Pauleta was the highest bidder for a winter and a summer scene painted by two children from the orphanage. The paintings proved impossible to resist for the player who was very keen to put them on the walls of his home.
 
Held under the auspices of the Pauleta Foundation, the night was proof that solidarity is alive and well in the Azores.
 
Father Fernando Teixeira, chairman of Casa do Gaiato, said that this was an initiative which went way beyond football and called for social solidarity. He added that he was grateful for the help given to the shelter.
       
Thirty 30 boys - who are between 6 and 21 years old - come from problem families and currently live in three houses at the Casa do Gaiato in Capelas, São Miguel.
 
Pauleta said that he wanted to convey the importance of solidarity to his Football School students. "Education, friendship and affection are essential values that we must teach to young people. The Pauleta Foundation is always there to lend a hand".

The auction was a first for the Pauleta Foundation and more initiatives are being planned. In addition, the Foundation will continue to lend its support to various charities in the Azores. por: José Silva & Kitty Bale