Freescale set out this year to help a group of children supported by United Way to discover new skills though the game of chess, thus proving that performance only needs to be given a chance to shine.
Throughout 16 lessons, 25 children learned chess from employee volunteers and trainers from the Master Mind Sports Club Association in Bucharest and prepared intensely for the final competition, “The Duel of Minds”, hosted by Freescale. The children attend the Ghencea Community Center, one of United Way’s partners in the “Learn to Succeed” program that fights school dropout in poor communities.
The 9 winners of the contest were awarded with diplomas, trophies, chess game sets and books, and all children received a set of warm clothes and shoes for the winter and enjoyed a lunch with the volunteers and guests.
“It’s a worthy initiative, a great joy and a special gesture to support children in learning chess. Those who get to love chess also become more clearheaded, careful, warmer and less impulsive people because they manage to empathize with the other player. These kids got the taste for chess and it would be wonderful if this initiative could continue”, said International Grandmaster Constantin Ionescu, also present at the event.
