A project of Oravan · Summer 2026
One summer week brought together children from three countries: Slovakia, Czechia and Ukraine.
What they built together will remain in Orava for years to come.
In the summer of 2026, our football field in Oravská Jasenica became a meeting place for children from three countries. A week of training, days out and new friendships also brought people together to improve facilities at our local football academy.
Thanks to donors and partners, we raised funds for a free camp for children from Ukraine, free shared trips for both Slovak and Ukrainian children, and heating for the club’s changing rooms, giving young footballers in Oravská Jasenica better facilities during Orava’s long winters.
The idea began with Tobiáš Bartoň, a high school student from Prague who has been visiting his grandmother Matilda in Oravská Jasenica since he was a child. He wanted to give children opportunities they would not otherwise have. Together, we combined support for local players with the chance for children affected by war to enjoy a carefree summer week.
Families, coaches, volunteers, partners and donors from Czechia, Slovakia and Ukraine all played a part. Local children and their families received support – and helped pass it on. While donations funded heating for their club, they welcomed Ukrainian children into their homes and onto their pitch, sharing a week of football, friendship and summer adventures.
Families opened their homes to the children, while coaches and volunteers gave their time and care. Donors and partners contributed funding, equipment and practical help. Together, we gave the children a week of football, outings and new friendships, and secured support for heating the club’s changing rooms to keep local players warm for many winters to come.
A week of football, games and days out brought local Slovak children together with Ukrainian children travelling from Ukraine and Czechia. From morning training to evenings with host families, the camp gave them time to get to know one another, make friends and enjoy the summer together.
Our second goal was to heat the club’s changing rooms, giving local young players a warm place to change before and after training during Orava’s long winters. Thanks to the community’s support, funding is now secured, with installation scheduled for December 2026.
Behind every number are people who helped turn an idea into reality.
Every euro contributed to the project had a clear purpose: first, to make the camp possible, and then to provide a new heating system for the football academy’s changing rooms.
The total value of support includes financial donations and sponsorship, donated goods, services provided free of charge, and discounts.
Funds raised through Donio.cz were collected in the platform’s account and subsequently released to the Oravan Oravská Jasenica civic association upon submission of supporting financial documents. The use of these funds is documented through records of specific project expenses. Contributions from supporting foundations are also subject to detailed financial reporting under their respective funding agreements.
Seven days of football. Dozens of new friendships. Memories to last a lifetime.
“When Tobi came to me in the summer of 2025, aged just sixteen, and said he wanted to help improve winter conditions for our young players, it sounded like a slightly naive student plan. Still, I thought we should give it a try. But Tobi followed through. He devoted a great deal of time to the project, approached donors and partners, and worked tirelessly to make it happen. Even I hadn’t expected so many people to get involved or imagined what we would achieve together.
One conversation on our pitch grew into an international football camp, new friendships and funding to heat our changing rooms. The club also received sports and training equipment that our children will use for years to come. That is what I value most. The support didn’t end when the children left camp. Tobi showed me that even one young person can bring a community together, extend that support beyond its borders and create something with lasting value.”
The project brought together students, coaches, volunteers and local families. Everyone contributed in their own way, through their experience, time, hospitality or help with preparations.
The idea came from Tobiáš Bartoň, whose studies in the USA and Prague made him aware of how much children’s opportunities can depend on where they grow up. He wanted to give children opportunities they might not otherwise have. His classmate Patrik joined the preparations in January 2026. Together with them, we began turning the idea into a concrete project at our club.
Others gradually joined the team. Dima, Žeňa and their brother Jurij helped organise participation and transport for Ukrainian children living in Czechia. Theodora documented the camp through photos and videos and helped with social media. Leo joined us from Bratislava. Dorotka and Emka helped with the daily running of the camp, while Margaritka provided interpreting support.
Juraj Feranec and Jakub Prielomek helped bring the project to life on the club’s side, with support from the village mayor, Karol Graňák. Coaches Stanislav Kavoň, Majka, Boďo and Jakub worked with the children throughout the camp.
Lesia and Jurij, who travelled with the children from Ukraine, looked after them throughout their stay. Oksana Savchuk from ISI Ivano-Frankivsk helped select the children who took part.
Host families, donors, partners and local residents were equally important. Thanks to them, the children had welcoming homes to stay in, people to train with and experiences to enjoy beyond the pitch. Thank you to everyone who lent a hand and helped create a place where the children felt welcome.
“Thanks to you, they can simply be children again.”
Parents wrote to us about the joy they could hear in their children’s voices, the new friends they had made and the warm welcome they received from their host families. Some children were already asking to return as soon as they got home. A message from Oksana Savchuk at ISI Ivano-Frankivsk, our Ukrainian nonprofit partner, captured what the week meant to them:
“The children are incredibly happy, and I am truly grateful to your entire team for giving them these wonderful emotions. ❤️
This time at the camp gives them a chance to rest from the war, the air raid sirens, and the constant fear they live with every day. Thanks to you, they can simply be children again – smile, play football, laugh, and enjoy carefree moments.
Thank you for your kindness, your care, and your generous hearts. What you are doing for our children means more than words can express. 🩵💛🩵💛🩵💛”
“I would like to thank the organisers of the football camp from the bottom of my heart for such a well-planned programme. It was a wonderful idea, and my son absolutely loved the camp. As soon as he got home, he said he wanted to go again.
A special thank-you also goes to Tobi Bartoň and all the coaches for their time, patience and the wonderful way they worked with the children.
We would also like to thank the families who welcomed our children for their care, kindness and willingness to help. We knew they were in good hands, and we were very happy.”
“Our heartfelt thanks to the camp organisers and our host family for the warm welcome, care and attention they have given the children. Our child is still at camp but already has so many wonderful memories, new friends and happy experiences. It is lovely to know that he feels comfortable, is doing something he loves and is having such a rewarding experience. Thank you for your hard work, hospitality and the atmosphere you have created! Denys is happy 💙💛”
“Good evening! Andrii and Roman are both very happy. They received a warm welcome at the camp and from their host family. Our heartfelt thanks to the organiser for giving the children this chance to relax and enjoy themselves!”
“He’s made new friends. Everything is going well with his host family too – they get along well, and he’s even watching football with them right now 🙂. Everything is great!”
The football camp lasted one week. The new heating will serve hundreds of children every winter.
Until recently, children changed in rooms with damp walls, crumbling plaster and no heating. Today the changing rooms have been renovated, with bright walls and new benches. The final step is the heating, which will be installed in December 2026.
The project leaves behind not just memories, but a real improvement in conditions for future generations of young footballers.
Before
After renovation“What we’ll remember most are the moments we shared during the camp – planning activities together and then watching the children enjoy them. Like when the balloon party turned into a water fight: we all got soaked, and the children couldn’t stop laughing. Or when Tobi became a swimming teacher at the pool.”
“Organising the camp was a lot of work, and I’ll admit there were times when we doubted whether we could manage it all. But when we saw how well the children got on, how they looked forward to each new day and how they didn’t want to go home at the end, we knew it had been worth it. What pleases me most is that some of the friendships have continued after the camp and the children are still in touch. I believe events like this really matter, and we should organise them more often.”
“When we decided to host Ukrainian children in our home, we had no idea how much those few days would change our lives. Suddenly our house was full of laughter, children’s noise, games and conversations in which we often didn’t even need to understand every word. When the children left, they left behind a strange silence and the feeling that someone was missing. That was the greatest strength of the whole camp. It brought together children from different countries, created real friendships and showed us that, in just a few days, strangers can become almost family.”
Our project’s story lives on in photographs and in the stories shared by the media.
Featured on the main evening news of TV Markíza, Slovakia’s leading commercial television broadcaster, on 17 July 2026.
Source: TV Markíza, Televízne noviny, 17 July 2026 · English subtitles
“I didn’t want to come. Now I’m afraid I won’t want to go home.”
Local publication Na Orave Dobre shares the story of our camp, the friendships it sparked and the community that welcomed the children.
Read the full article in Slovak →The project’s most memorable moments, captured on camera.
Our week together has ended, but its impact reaches far beyond one summer.
The bonds between children, families and volunteers continue beyond the camp.
The new heating system gives hundreds of children a warm place to get ready for training throughout the winter.
The project brought families, volunteers, partners, the local council and our football club together around a shared purpose.
A student’s idea can bring people together across borders, create new opportunities for children and inspire others to make a difference in their own way.
This project was not the work of one person.
It was made possible by hundreds of people who gave their time, energy, trust and support.
Thank you to every donor, volunteer, host family, partner and coach, to the football academy, the local council and our Ukrainian partner organisations.
And thank you to the children, who brought joy, curiosity and a willingness to get to know one another.
Together, we showed that one football pitch can make a difference far beyond the game.