Ongoing GKF work
Project manager:
Global Kiter Foundation
About:
You may not know it, but with one simple act you have the power to change a life and make a long lasting difference in communities all around the world.
 
Kiteboarding is a way to build skills, coordination and a sense of well being while showcasing the importance of our natural resources  (wind, water, land, mountains).  The Global Kiter Foundation's “Wind that Works” program is about enabling, educating and sustaining individuals and communities around the world. We want people to Grow, Kite and Fly!
 
Grow: Enabling people to achieve incredible results by providing the right tools and structure to develop new skills, and become part of a bigger community. Sometimes, it only takes a little push to get out there and achieve something extraordinary.
 
Kite: Educating young people and training them in new skills gives them a chance to build a solid career, support their families, educate their peers and become role models in their community.
 
Fly: Sustaining is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone. It is a core part of the Global Kiter Foundation’s purpose, which is to empower and improve lives now and for generations to come.
 
When it comes to sustaining our environment, our ethos is simple: leave the place cleaner than we found it. Environmental awareness isn’t just achieved through the protection of our environment. Part of our drive is to help people understand how much elements like wind and water can give us, and how simple it is to give back a little.
Support:
We run projects in different countries around the world. Wherever you feel there is a need to make a change, lets join forces and make it happen.
 
Here are a few examples of how your donations are spent:
  • 234 euros gets a youth trained and ready to start a new career, improving his life and the lives of his immediate family.
  • 2500 euros gets the specialised equipment for someone with a disability to progress and become independent in kiting
  • The more donations we receive the more work we can do…
 
There is no minimum or maximum amount, every cent counts!
 
How else can you help? By simply paying it forward! You can make a donation in the name of a friend and have him or her participate in one of GKF’s events, or you can sell equipment you don’t need anymore and give the proceeds to the Foundation. Contact us for more info… 
Is it your birthday? Ask your friends to donate your age in dollars to GKF, not only will you look great to your friends, you’ll get a great feeling of knowing you helped to give a disadvantaged young person a future or empower a wheelchair user to learn a new sport.
Support
Why donate?
Because its good for your soul... Grow, kite, fly! It's simple, it's fresh, it's what we do. It's all about enabling, educating, sustaining. And whatever we do, wherever we go, we leave the area cleaner than we found it. Let's all pay it forward. donate
Latest donations
Create a future!
Project manager:
Global Kiter Foundation
About:
Developing countries like Brazil, Mexico, Philippines and the Dominican Republic are full of talented young kiters. They live by the beach and learn how to kite at a very early age- learning by watching the older kids and teaching each other. They don’t have their own equipment- they usually borrow the gear. The consequence of this type of learning is that there are lots of young kiters on the beach that have no idea of safety rules, they have no safety training- so they don’t know what to do in case something goes wrong, and they create hazards for other kiters and beach users. Being a kiter is being part of a community that shares the sport. They have never had the opportunity to be taught properly.
 
Every activity organized by GKF ends up with a massive beach cleanup involving the entire community. The cleanup also includes an awareness campaign to help change attitudes and behavior towards the environment.
Support:
The talent and skills of these kids can be guided to be used in a positive and creative way. This is how:
We organize 3-day seminars to train young kiters as Beach Safety Assistants. This training is completely FREE for them. Once they are trained, they are be able to work in centers and earn a living. They also become more responsible kiters. Beach Safety Assistants that successfully complete the course will operate with a code of honor and pride which they pass on to the community. They better understand the core values of safety and responsibility, and they help to create a more harmonious environment for everyone on the beach. Beach Safety Assistants become role models for the community youth, and play an important part in teaching other kids how to behave.
 
The number of children we train depends on the money we raise.
For example, €234 trains 1 kid.
 
Criteria for Beach Assistant Training Course:
  • Be at least 16 years old
  • Be able to swim
  • Know how to kite
  • Be recommended by a local school or instructor.
Support
Why donate?
Because its good for your soul... Giving young people the opportunity to develop qualified skills enables them to earn a living and support their families. Not everyone is born with the chance to get a proper education, or has the means to develop a career. GKF's Beach Safety Assistant courses give them just that. donate
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Help people with health conditions
Project manager:
Global Kiter Foundation
About:
People with health conditions are rarely given the opportunity to do something extraordinary. GKF is here to bring them a new perspective to what they can do. Flying a 2-line trainer kite is safe, fun and enables participants and volunteers to share a moment together and support each other. This is what we do during our Wind that Works workshops.
Participants that want to continue and become independent kiters continue with our Ongoing Education program, and our support.
 
New experiences can lead to new horizons.
 
Every activity organized by GKF ends up with a massive beach cleanup involving the entire community. The cleanup also includes an awareness campaign to help change attitudes and behavior towards the environment.
 
Support:
The workshops and ongoing education requires the following:
  • We organize the events in safe locations where there are no risks from other spot users, so that they learn in a friendly and safe environment
  • We have specialized people on the team to supervise safety and progression at all times

We give a chance to discover something totally new: a passion for an eco-friendly and accessible sport, which promotes health outdoor living

Our emphasis is on building skills through team support- from volunteers and other participants.

Support
Why donate?
Because its good for your soul... Give people an extraordinary chance to learn skills they may have thought beyond their capabilities. Taking part in kiting is not about being the most able or the fittest: GKF opens up the inspiring world of kiting to everyone. Learning new skills is something participants will take with them for the rest of their lives! donate
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Powered by Wind: Charity Crossing
Project manager:
Global Kiter Foundation
About:

Most of us think twice before getting out of our houses on a cold day. For others, it is the opportunity to jump into icy cold waters to raise funds and awareness for charity.

Which is what a group of kiteboarders and sailors will do in spring 2012 (exact date to be confirmed according to weather and wind conditions). Ilias Katirtsigianoglou (kiter) and Spyridon Sofianos (sailor) will lead a team across the south Evoikos Kolpos (Channel) to raise funds for charities and mark the World Cancer Day. The crossing will take them from Marmari (Evia) across the channel to Loutsa. The team will sail for 22 km, the crossing should take approximately 3 hours.

The funds raised for this challenge will be equally divided between three charities:

1. BeStrong Greece: founded in 2007, it is a non profit organization that raises awareness, increases outreach and facilitates collaboration in an effort to improve the cancer experience.

2. Medecins Sans Frontieres: founded in 1971, it is an international humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. The Greek branch was created in 1990.

3. Global Kiter Foundation: founded in 2011, GKF is a non-profit Foundation empowering and enabling people with physical disabilities to break barriers through sport and gives the underprivileged youth a new career opportunity, while taking actions to keep our environment clean.

The crossing is supported by Omada Aigaiou, the Hellenic Rescue Team of Attica who will assist the crossing with RIBS and life guards that will handle the safety of the participants at all times.

This is the first crossing the team plans on doing. It is the precursor to a bigger crossing scheduled this summer with participants with a physical disability.

Please show your support!

 

Support:

You can help:

  • By making a donation to support the challenge
  • By joining the challenge and asking your friends to make a donation in your name. Kiters, windsurfers, sailors, ribs… all types of sailors are welcome!
  • By supporting the athletes on the locations!
  • By sharing this message with your friends!

Mahatma Gandhi once said:

Be the change you want to see in the world. 

We would like to see a world filled with compassion, sport and big smiles, and this is a step in that direction. We are grateful for your support. 

 

Atheletes taking part:

  • Ilias Katirtsigianoglou, Kiter

Ilias was born in Athens in 1978. He studied mechanical engineering in the UK and worked for different conglomerates across Europe. He is now working in the renewable energy industry and enjoys kite surfing in his spare time. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2009 and since then underwent different chemo treatments and operations. He now enjoys an active lifestyle and his personal aspiration through this crossing is to support people in need and send a message of encouragement and empowerment to people affected by cancer.

  • Spyridon Sofianos, Sailor

Spyros was born in Turin, Italy in 1980. His mother is Australian and his father is Greek.. He studied mechanical engineering in Patras & Athens. He has worked in education and at freelance as mechanical engineer.  He is now working in the renewable energy industry and enjoys snowboarding & sailing in his spare time. A few people inside his family have suffered or are still suffering from cancer. His personal aspiration through this crossing is to support people in need.

  • Sandrine Roussos Werner, Kiter

Co-founder of Global Kiter Foundation, Sandrine belives in using sport to empower others. See her profile.

  • Andreas Albes, Kiter

Andreas, 44, is a reporter of the German magazine Stern, based in Athens: "I appreciate that in these days there are also people who think not only of themselves but also care for problems of others. This is something optimistic, what you can't support enough."

  • Nikos Issaiades, Kiter

Born in Athens in 1978, Nikos is an extreme sports enthusiast and gadget freak. Father of a beautiful daughter Kristy, has been kiting almost 10 years now…always as a kite fan never as a pro. The sea is what relaxes him and charges his batteries. His other passion is Victorinox Swiss Army Knifes which he is privileged to work with promoting sales in Greece. School mate of Ilias, when they met up again after years and was told about the crossing he immediately said “Let’s do it”.

  • Dimitris Softas, Kiter

23 year old Dimitris is from Volos, Greece. "I have been kiting for 4 years now and am a pro kiter, riding for F-One and Mystic. I am happy to take part in this challenge because I love this sport and want to help in anyway I can. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community through our sport. nikos athanasiou

  • Nikos Athanasiou, Windsurfer
Born in Athens in 1983, Nikos studied Stastistics and Insurance Science at the University of Peireas. He has been windsurfing since 1996 and competed at national and international levels in the freestyle windsurfing discipline. About the crossing, Nikos says "This is a perfect way, showing the world about our social concerns and by helping give a bit of a push to people who need it".
  • Aris Kisis, Kiter

Aris is 38 years old, born in Greece. He is an outdoor sports enthusiast and is passionate about exploring the natural forces. His elements are the sea and mountains. Aris is happy to join the team for the Crossing and to offer a drop of hope to people in need; to show that everything is possible if you believe in it. The ultimate target is to inspire people suffering from a disease or a disability to get up, go out and enjoy nature the best way you can and to cultivate the “Everything is Possible” spirit.  

  • Yiannis Roulis, Kiter
Born in 1974 in Athens, Yiannis studied Management and Marketing. He worked in the Athens Stock Exchange market until 2000, when he followed his passion. He started a surf shop in Athens. Since then, "Boards and Style" has grown very large and now imports windsurf/kitesurf/apparel, and has become distributor for some of the leading brands (Mystic, Mitral, FOne, Xenon, Coolshoe, etc.) Yiannis is very happy to be involved in the crossing and will help and support as much as he can.
  •  Angelos Karavelas, Kiter

Angelos was born in Corinth in 1980. He has been kiting for 8 years and is the owner of kiteclub.gr, a Greek kiteboarding online community/forum.
He wants to share his passion for kitesurfing and attract more people to it- even those who have never imagined it possivle to have the opportunity!
He believes that by participating in the crossing he can help meet this goal.

 
Support
Why donate?
This challenging crossing is inspired by the support that charities give to those in need, and is a way of raising awareness and donations for the great work they do. donate
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