Four companies have donated various items including food products, household consumables, and soft drinks through the May 9 Foundation for families of victims of the Accra stadium disaster.
The companies, GBfoods, distributors of Gino brand of food products; Interplast Ghana, producers of plastic pipes; the Coca Cola and a Chinese company operating in Ghana, Sunda International, also donated undisclosed sums of money to the Foundation.
The donations form part of activities to mark the 18th anniversary of the tragic stampede which occurred during a soccer game between rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko on May 9, 2001.
The tragic stampede claimed at least 127 lives and left many football supporters injured and their families in despair.
The May, 9 2001 Accra stadium disaster remains the number one sports tragedy in Ghana’s history. A month earlier in the same year, on 11 April 2001, a similar sports tragedy took place at the Ellis Park Stadium, also registering as the worst sporting accident in South African history. It occurred during a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, which claimed 49 lives.
Even though the government of Ghana set up a disaster fund to support the families of the victims of the stadium disaster, very little benefit has been derived by the families, some have complained.
Justice has also eluded the families of the victims of the disaster for 18 years as the commission set up by the Ghana government to investigate the incident found no one culpable.
As chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the time of the Accra stadium disaster, Herbert Mensah has taken a personal responsibility over the years in an effort to replace the despair of these families with hope.
For instance, in the past few years the May 9 remembered charity projects are has funded surgeries for needy sick children at KATH, gas explosion victims, flood victims, physically disabled people and school fees for many other families of the victims of the Accra stadium disaster.
Sunda International has committed to supporting the May 9 charity project championed by Herbert Mensah as part of its corporate social responsibility to the people of Ghana.
“What I saw and experienced on May 9 2001 in that stadium changed my life.
“It has taught us the value of empathy. we don’t want to forget that day and we don’t want a repeat of that tragic day in our history” Herbert Mensah told newsmen at a presentation of items and cash to affected families in Accra on Wednesday.
“And sponsors like Sunda International, GBfoods, Interplast, Coca Cola, share the value of empathy with the May 9 foundation for those who suffered that day and those who continue to suffer from other disasters such as gas explosion and flood victims. we appreciate their continued support in the years gone by and those ahead”, he added.
Source: 3news.com | Ghana]]>
