Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been named ambassador for the UEFA EURO 2008™ Score for the Red Cross online fundraising campaign which kicked off on 26 March.

Purchase virtual goals
Internet users will be able to help their favourite side win the title of Most Humanitarian Team by purchasing virtual goals on scorefortheredcross.org. The winning team will be announced on 6 July. The Score for the Red Cross campaign, jointly organised by UEFA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), will benefit land-mine victims in Afghanistan by providing them with artificial limbs, physiotherapy and vocational training.

UEFA has chosen the ICRC as its official humanitarian partner for EURO 2008™, which will be held in Austria and Switzerland.

What does this partnership consist of?

Michel Platini, president of UEFA, and Jakob Kellenberger, president of the ICRC, launched an online fundraising operation entitled Score for the Red Cross to raise money for the victims of anti-personnel mines in Afghanistan. With a single click, a visitor to the website can support the Red Cross and at the same time help their team win the title of Most Humanitarian Team of EURO 2008™.

UEFA will donate to the ICRC all receipts from the sale of “Score for the Red Cross” wristbands.

UEFA will encourage fans to support the campaign on www.euro2008.com.

UEFA will donate 4,000 euro to the ICRC for each goal scored during the tournament.

The ICRC will use 50% of the the funds collected to improve the lives of mine victims in Afghanistan, by providing them with artificial limbs and physiotherapy.In addition, the ICRC will support the reintegration of mine victims into their families and communities, by offering vocational training and the opportunity to start small businesses.

Several Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are participating in this fundraising operation, and the remaining 50% of the funds collected will be donated to these National Societies to enable them to finance emergency aid, medical or social programmes in their respective countries.