Vela for Inclusion: Sailing in Palermo in honor of Libero Grassi
The sailing sport as a tool for legality and healthy passion for the boys of the Cep and Kalsa neighborhoods. For the seventh year, on the anniversary of the Mafia murder of Libero Grassi, the boats of the Navy League sail the sea of the port of Palermo with the educators of Addiopizzo and the boys from the most at-risk neighborhoods: about fifteen children have been involved by the association that is based in the neighborhood that gave birth to judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. “A way to introduce the youngest to the sea – emphasized Nicola Vitello, president of the Navy League of Palermo – in absolute safety. A recurring event carried out in the name of legality: the boats have in fact been assigned to us, they are boats seized from organized crime and reused for a noble purpose.” Among others, the children sat on the Azimut, about 12 meters with two masts, seized by the finance guard, and on the Our Dream. And there will soon be news on the latter. The League is working with the order of engineers to “carry out an integration project – explained Vitello – we want to ensure that it can host a mixed crew composed of able-bodied people and Paralympic athletes. We are creating a mechanism that will allow them to go below deck with a wheelchair and therefore have independent access to the boat.” “We want to introduce the children to a new world full of positive stimuli inside and outside the square – explained Noemi Di Franco, educator at Addiopizzo -. Piazza Magione is a place of strong identity and strong demand that can become a prison if we do not overcome the obstacles of discomfort that persist in the area. Families and children follow us very much, they are hungry for knowledge and new experiences: the social fabric is waiting for nothing but a positive change.”
Vela per l’inclusione, a Palermo in barca nel nome di Libero Grassi
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