Sunday 7 March Basketball “Crushes” Bullying in the face!
Piedmontese basketball embraces each other in the fight against bullying. He will do so in memory of his fellow countryman Michele Ruffino, three years after the tragedy that brought not only a family, but the entire community to its knees.
On Sunday 7 March, the Piedmontese teams of the Lega Nazionale Pallacanestro Serie A2 "Old Wild West" championship and their respective opponents will take to the pitch wearing a celebratory t-shirt in memory of dear Michele. A gesture with a strong social and emotional impact, which we hope can be taken as an example by other realities at every latitude, because bullying must be extinguished everywhere.
The message will be delivered simultaneously on the parquets of the three scheduled matches: Edilnol Pallacanestro Biella and Novipiù JB Monferrato will face each other in the Forum derby, while Reale Mutua Torino and Bertram Tortona will be guests of Staff Mantova and Tezenis Verona respectively.
The moving and heartbreaking story of Michele Ruffini was brought to the national scene by the investigation of Who has seen it? not to forget a boy killed by bullying in February 3 years ago. The cry for help from mother Maria Catambrone Raso and sister Jessica Ruffino cannot go unheard any longer.
The "Stop the Bully" movement is always in support of "Miky Boys - Association against bullying" and there is a unique belief that at a media level it is essential that the story of this family is not forgotten to avoid having new Micheles to mourn.
It is with these premises that the initiative on Sunday 7 March takes shape, which collects the cry for help launched by mother Maria: “Justice for my son Michele, help me. You can't die at 17 at the hands of bullies. I make an appeal to those who can and must intervene: give me answers, Michele has been gone for three years and everything is silent. I ask a question. What if he had been your son?”.
Sporting rivalry and rankings aside, the clubs promoting this battle against bullying will all play for the same result, aware that united we win. Here are the testimonies.
Luca Infante, Mantova Staff player: “Bullying is a social phenomenon that is unfortunately very frequent in the modern era! In my opinion, sport could do a lot to try to help both those affected and those who produce violence! Teaching how to be together in a group, focusing on the equality of all... respecting the person and the rules of common coexistence! Sport against bullying!”.
Renato Nicolai, CEO of Reale Mutua Basket Torino: “We immediately joined this initiative together with the other companies, we hope that it will serve to bring this problem, which is now too present in society, even further to light. We are against bullying, in all its forms. It is a terrible enemy that together we want and must defeat."
Alessandro Giuliani, General Manager Tezenis Verona: “We willingly agreed to support this initiative. Sport must take responsibility for sending strong messages such as the fight against bullying, a topic to be addressed with the utmost attention at all levels. We will wear personalized shirts before the match, in memory of Michele Ruffino, uniting in a symbolic embrace of the family."
Ferencz Bartocci, General Manager Bertram Derthona Basket: “Miky has been in our hearts since the moment Corrado Neggia spoke to me and coach Marco Ramondino, telling us his story. As a Society we are very active to stem and defeat any act of bullying, including in the social world. Symbolically we feel like new friends of Miky, concretely fighting every day for a better world."
Giacomo Carrera, General Manager Novipiù JB Monferrato: “Miky's story is, unfortunately, a concrete example of how deeply rooted this problem is in our society. Our Club has always been active in fighting bullying, especially in its new forms that are emerging in recent years with social networks. Bullying must be defeated together, fighting day after day."
Corrado Neggia, speaker Edilnol Pallacanestro Biella: “What I feel in my heart against bullying I have already expressed directly to Miky's mother, who I consider a little brother, as I am sure he is for all of us. I thank my club, all without distinction, for their usual sensitivity. I warmly thank all the people I contacted who immediately agreed to an idea that is now a reality. Unity is strength, bullying has no escape."
