The Celta Foundation and Down Vigo join ‘Mares Circulares’ in a major day of inclusion and sustainability at the Lagares River

Under the firm belief that football that transforms lives must transcend the pitch, the Celta Foundation participated this April 9th in an important environmental volunteering event at the Lagares River in Vigo. As part of Coca-Cola’s ‘Mares Circulares’ (Circular Seas) program, the initiative successfully combined the care of our natural environment with social inclusion.

The event, supported by the Vigo City Council, brought together 71 volunteers in an exceptional display of teamwork. Participants included players from Celta Integra Zelnova, members of Celta Academy, as well as representatives from Down Vigo and the Juan María de Nigrán Association. Their combined efforts resulted in the removal of 220.82 kilos of waste from the riverbanks.

All collected material was sorted by the Chelonia Association for subsequent recycling. Furthermore, the data gathered during this intervention will be added to the ‘Mares Circulares’ database, joining information from over 1,163 monitoring points collected since 2018. This valuable data is made available to researchers and scientists to help develop innovative solutions for protecting our aquatic ecosystems.

Sport, inclusion, and the environment

For the Celta Foundation, this activity represents the core of its values. The organization emphasized that “collaboration between entities and citizen involvement are essential to move towards more sustainable and responsible environments. We understand football not only as a sport but as an engine of transformation capable of generating positive habits, including in the environmental sphere. Actions like this prove that sport can be a powerful tool to raise awareness and mobilize society.”

This positive impact is shared by organizations like Down Vigo, who highlight that participating in volunteering actions is a fundamental pathway for inclusion. Individuals with Down Syndrome and intellectual diversity have once again proven the immense value they bring to society, acting as committed citizens caring for the environment.

Gema Domínguez, Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Iberia, highlighted the importance of these synergies: “Collaboration and alliances are key to achieving ambitious goals like those driven by Mares Circulares, aimed at moving towards a waste-free marine environment.”

Once again, the Sky Blue family demonstrates that by joining forces, we can make a real difference in our community and our planet.