The Grab We Care United Basketball Team paraded along with three other overseas Filipino worker squads during the opening of the First GWCU Charity Basketball League 2021 recently at the Al Faris International School in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Event founder/organizer Robin Padiz said his noble project aims to extend a helping hand to fellow overseas Filipino workers, who were adversely affected by the pandemic in Riyadh, mostly stranded workers and those who are raring to go back to the Philippines.
Other participating teams are RDS, SAR and UNICC composed of the more fortunate OFWs, who also joined hands for the advocacy in carrying the ‘bayanihan spirit’ of Filipinos in the gulf nation.
“It’s a noble project, a basketball for a cause. ’Yung quota nito ay gagamitin sa ayuda para sa ating mga kababayan dito na apektado ng pandemic. Ang magiging champion ang siyang pipili ng kanilang aayudahan,” said Padiz via zoom interview.
“Layon din namin ang camaraderie at pasasalamat sa ating mga magigiting at mas mapalad na kalahing taos puso sa pagtulong tulad ng mga kasamahan natin sa Grab We Care United,” Padiz added.
The new charity cage league of GWCU is a single, round-robin tournament until January 22, 2021, leading to a winner-take-all championship.
Padiz, a former member of the national men’s gymnastics team, also said the newly formed league wishes to attract more teams for future editions to broaden its noble cause for less fortunate Filipinos, whose companies were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and those in dire need of finding new employers
“Others don’t want to go home. They need new jobs instead. We must help them in our humble way,” said Padiz, who also acknowledged the support of event sponsors President Zaldy Rabalo, Rannie Basanta and Madam Sahar Al Marzouki of AFIS.