VIRTUS award for 2017
The main award for contribution at the national level for the year 2017
Delta Holding for the Fund for the Future program, which offers education, scholarships and the possibility of employment to students with weaker financial conditions. This company also implements the Third Parent program, which takes care of families in crisis, provides professional support for their better functioning and contributes to reducing poverty.
During the previous year, Delta Holding was also active in the field of endowment, so it donated to the City of Belgrade the sculpture From Here to Here, which was jointly created by Mrđan Bajić and Richard Dickon. This sculpture was installed in the fall of 2017 and will continue to adorn the footbridge between Kalemegdan and the Sava Pier.
Award for contribution to the local community where companies operate
Rudnik and flotacija Rudnik Ltd. from Rudnik (Gornji Milanovac) for contributing to the complete adaptation and further functioning of the local Cultural Center, renovation of two primary schools and adaptation of the Retirement Home in Rudnik. These investments significantly improved the conditions for living, studying, socializing and spending quality free time in this town.
Award for Small and Medium Enterprises
Nag Ltd from Belgrade for money donations and goods aimed at the elderly, internally displaced and refugees, persons suffering from AIDS, as well as children without parental care. In 2017, this company intensively supported children and elderly people living and working on the street, by providing organizations that work with this population with a significant amount of food, clothing and shoes, necessary for their care.
Award for a long-term partnership between business and non-profit sector. Nelt Co Ltd. from Belgrade for strategic partnership with creative hubs G12 HUB and Nova Iskra. This partnership produced a free educational program for students, linking formal education, start-up tendencies and the needs of the labour market. Students received mentoring support from experts from various fields and sectors, and the program was evaluated as a good way to acquire special skills and knowledge that are important for further career development.
Award for individual contribution to philanthropy
Award for individual contribution to philanthropy. Milorad Jurković – Carpenter Mile from Beocin for many years of charitable work that helped a large number of people throughout Serbia. Mile became famous for the baby chairs he regularly makes and gives away for free to families. In the past years, he extended his support to the production of other pieces of furniture and the collection of other types of aid for vulnerable parts of the population. Mileta is motivated by a great desire to help people in need and includes her family and thousands of followers of her Facebook page in her initiatives.
Award for individual contribution to the development of philanthropy in the local community
Vesna Bondžić from Vrnjačka Banja, who since 2010 has been devoting all her time to helping and supporting people suffering from cancer. Through her engagement, Vesna provides patients with everything she did not receive during her treatment, and at the same time works on education and promotion of preventive examinations among the healthy population in Vrnjačka Banja and its surroundings.
Special award for volunteering
Banca Intesa JSC for its corporate volunteering program Intesa from the heart, through which the bank’s employees donated over 6,500 working hours to non-profit initiatives and organizations. As part of this program, the Volunteer Day 2017 campaign was carried out, during which the shores of Gružan Lake in central Serbia were cleaned. About 200 employees completely cleaned the left bank of the lake and collected 800 kilograms of waste, and during the same action, 50 poplar seedlings were planted, which will be cared for by the local community.
Special award for a young philanthropist
Jovan Simić from Belgrade, who founded the humanitarian organization Zajedno za život and in 2017, organized the Sports Bazaar, a large Humanitarian football match in Užice, a Humanitarian dinner with Miroslav Raduljica, Penal za život campaign and a Humanitarian dinner with Red Star footballers. Through all these actions, he collected hundreds of thousands of euros for those who need help, and mostly for children who need treatment. Each of his actions includes a large number of people because Jovan bases his work on the idea of community among people.