Fossar supports young people troubled by addiction
Thanks Day fundraising ensures prevention programs in Icelandic schools
The 8.2 million ISK raised on Fossar Markets’ Thanks Day on 22 November have been awarded to two initiatives supporting young people fighting addiction to prescription drugs and other problems. Each initiative receives 4,1 million ISK.
The “Ég á bara eitt líf” initiative focuses on fighting drug and substance abuse among young people. The other is “Bergið”, a support centre offering individually tailored treatment and support for people between 16 and 25 years old and their families.
Haraldur Þórðarson, CEO of Fossar Markets, presented Andrea Yr Arnarsdóttir, Ég á bara eitt líf’s chairman, and Sigurþóra Steinunn Bergsdóttir, chairman of Bergið, with the collection, in Fossar’s main office at Fríkirkjuvegur in Reykjavík, on Tuesday 27 November.
Fighting untimely deaths
“The situation in Iceland among young people abusing prescription drugs is like an epidemic, resulting in many untimely deaths. We are hugely grateful to Fossar for their support, enabling us to offer prevention programs, free of charge, in Iceland’s elementary schools and colleges,” says Andrea Ýr Arnarsdóttir, chairman of Einar Darri’s Memorial Fund, which manages the Ég á bara eitt líf initiative. “We are very pleased with all the support we have enjoyed. We are all together in this nationwide effort.”
Individually tailored support
“We are taking the first steps in organizing and establishing Bergið’s services. A grant like this one is very important for us in the work ahead, building a forum where young people can have direct access to specialists giving support and counselling tailored to individual needs. We can expand our team of specialists sooner and finish our preparations sooner,” says Sigurþóra Steinunn Bergsdóttir, chairman of Bergið. “In Bergið young people and their families can seek assistance, have their situation analysed, and their treatment needs evaluated. The operations will be diverse and tailored to the needs of the young people themselves.”
The Thanks Day is well received
Fossar’s Thanks Day was held for the fourth time on 22 November. “The results this year exceeded our expectations as Fossar and its clients united in supporting this worthy cause. While remembering the challenges facing young people, we could be happy about how everybody contributed,” says Haraldur Þórðarson, CEO of Fossar Markets. In the past four years over twenty million ISK have been awarded to good causes.
The Thanks Day is an annual event where Fossar Market’s collected service fees on that day are all awarded to a deserving cause. The Thanks Day also enjoys the support of the Nasdaq Iceland stock exchange and the settlement company T plus. Both waive their fees on the occasion to support the charity. This year, due to many requests, donations to the cause could also be made directly into a dedicated charitable account.
“We are looking forward to next year’s Thanks Day,” Þórðarson says, adding that establishing the occasion as an annual event had been especially rewarding.
PHOTO from inside Fossar Markets’ HQ: Haraldur Þórðarson, CEO of Fossar Markets, met with Ég á bara eitt líf and Bergið’s representatives in Fossar’s headquarters to hand over the Thanks Day collection. From the left: Bára Tómasdóttir, Aníta Rún Óskarsdóttir and Andrea Ýr Arnarsdóttir, then Þórðarson and Sigurþóra Steinunn Bergsdóttir, Sigrún Sigurðardóttir and Sara Óskarsson.
Further information on Ég á bara eitt líf can be found on www.egabaraeittlif.is and on Bergið on the centre’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bergidokkar. Information about Fossar Markets can be found on the company’s website, fossarmarkets.com.
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