Tienen (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Kringwinkel Hageland a Belgian second-hand store found a unique football shirt dedicated to Paralympic athlete Marieke Vervoort. They plan to auction it to support her charity Canisha.
Kringwinkel Hageland is a popular second-hand store in Belgium that gets a lot of donated items nearly 3,500 tons each year. Among these donations they sometimes find unique and valuable things. One special item was a football shirt from Anderlecht that belonged to Steven Defour a former professional player. It has been said that this shirt is not just an ordinary piece of sports memorabilia it has a special connection to Marieke Vervoort a famous Belgian Paralympic athlete who died in 2019. Defour dedicated the shirt to Vervoort to honor her amazing achievements and strength while dealing with a serious illness.
What makes the football shirt at Kringwinkel Hageland in Tienen so special?
It has been said that the shirt is even more special because it was auctioned in 2016 to raise money for a charity that was important to Marieke Vervoort. This auction took place while she was still alive and the money raised supported one of the many causes she cared about. Vervoort was celebrated not only for her sports achievements but also for her work with various charities making this shirt a symbol of her lasting impact. The fact that such a meaningful item ended up at Kringwinkel Hageland shows how unpredictable donations can be as even ordinary-looking items can carry deep stories and connections to remarkable individuals.
Kringwinkel Hageland’s team got the idea to hold their own auction after receiving a special item at their store in Diest. Chelsea Brems mentioned that when they found the item anonymously the employees recognized it as unique right away. This inspired them to auction it again to support Canisha, a non-profit organization that Marieke Vervoort was connected to and benefited from her assistance dog. Maarten Vandegaer pointed out that athletes like Steven Defour and Marieke Vervoort have shown that sports are about more than just winning they’re about community, support and making a positive impact. This aligns perfectly with their mission so they were thrilled to bring joy to Kristof from Pepingen and support Canisha.
