Last Sunday marked a double victory for the veteran players of Pallesviakos football club, who travelled to Ayvalık for a friendly match against local veterans, Ayvalıkgücü Belediyespor. The Greek footballers not only got to win the game by 3-2, but they also won the hearts of their opponents and the local community.

The Greek veterans traveled from Lesvos to the neighbouring coastal town, carrying along aid packages for those in need. The packages, containing food and other goods catering for essential family needs, were delivered to Şefkat Evleri Derneği, a charity organization supporting the poor in the district.

“I am grateful to our Greek friends for their kind thought,” said Fatma Cavlı, the charity’s president, expressing her delight at the strong friendship between the two sides of the Aegean Sea.

Yorgos Ampelikiotis, the Honorary President of Pallesviakos, said they would continue to deliver aid to the organization whenever they visited Ayvalık for such occasions. After the game, the players took souvenir pictures to bring home, as a way to emphasize the continuous friendship between the two sides of the Aegean.