A charity hockey match "Na Dvina" took place at the Vitebsk Ice Palace of Sports, becoming a prominent sporting event on the eve of the New Year holidays and uniting hundreds of fans around an important and noble cause.
The event was organised by the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, the Department of Sports and Tourism of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, and the State Institution "Vitebsk Hockey Club".
The main goal of the match was to raise funds for the purchase of rehabilitation equipment for the Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Centre.
The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, Dmitry Demidov, addressed the participants and spectators with a welcoming speech:
"Good evening, dear hockey fans – the most popular and beloved sport in our country! On behalf of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, I am sincerely pleased to welcome you to the opening ceremony of the charity hockey match. On the eve of the New Year and Christmas holidays, it has become a good tradition for us to hold campaigns and events aimed at helping those who are in particular need. I sincerely thank the management of the hockey club "Vitebsk" and our partner company for the excellent initiative to organise a charity match between the team of masters and a team of popular hockey bloggers from the Russian Federation. The proceeds from the match will be used to purchase rehabilitation equipment for the Vitebsk Regional Children's Clinical Centre. This sports project is the first for the northern capital, but I am confident that it will become an integral part of our good deeds and lay the foundation for a tradition of similar charity pre-New Year hockey matches. I wish our ice teams a beautiful game, the fans vivid emotions, and all of us happiness, health, peace, and prosperity in the New Year. Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!"
Before the match, a rich entertainment program awaited the guests: a grand opening with the participation of honoured guests, a performance by the cover band "Ch.T.O.", and activities from the title partner – LLC "Bizon Bet", which created a truly festive atmosphere in the arena.
The teams "Severnye Medvedi" (Vitebsk) and "Khors Media" (Moscow) met on the ice. The game turned out to be tense, dynamic, and spectacular, leaving neither the fans nor the participants indifferent.
The match ended in a high-scoring draw with a score of 8:8, and the main outcome of the evening was the overall victory of good – participants and spectators not only gave themselves vivid emotions but also laid a new good tradition of pre-New Year charity hockey matches, which will undoubtedly become an important part of the region's sports and public life.