Director of Ülemiste Centre presented Kersti Kaljulaid with € 5,270 in support of Olympic athletes

The Director of Ülemiste Centre, Guido Pärnits, presented the President of the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK), Kersti Kaljulaid, with a donation of € 5,270, collected at the Ülemiste Night Run event held last Friday. This became the largest contribution to date from a private enterprise to the crowdfunding platform “Minu Sportlane.” 

Before the start of the Ülemiste Night Run, Guido Pärnits introduced a charity challenge to the participants: for every person who would run the five-kilometre distance faster than him, an additional € 5 would be added to the Alexela Team Estonia LA 2028 support fund. “People often take athletes’ success for granted, without realizing the resources truly required to reach the world stage. Our athletes give people not only powerful emotions and unforgettable moments but also make Estonia visible on the world map. Supporting them is an investment in the future of Estonian sport,” said the Director of Ülemiste Centre. 

Pärnits emphasized that Ülemiste’s contribution is an example of how the private sector can foster the development of sport in Estonia. “The aim of Ülemiste Centre is to inspire other enterprises as well to find creative ways to support leading athletes. How successfully our athletes perform at major competitions depends to a great extent on how strongly society stands by their side,” he noted, stressing the significance of the donation. 

Team Alexela consists of three world-class athletes: épée fencer Katrina Lehis, swimmer Kregor Zirk, and decathlete Karel Tilga, along with youth teams in rowing and swimming. Their goal is to shine at the 2028 Olympic Games and raise the blue-black-white flag on the podium. The young athletes are aiming to reach the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032. 

 At the Ülemiste Night Run, the team was represented by swimmers. Siim Kesküla, with a time of 20:34, placed 32nd overall, while Kregor Zirk finished 75th. The challenge of beating Pärnits was also met by Emily-Pärli Jäärats, who won five gold medals at the International Children’s Games in Tallinn earlier in August, as well as Estonia’s top young swimmer, Maari Randväli. 

Five minutes ahead of Pärnits finished EOK President Kersti Kaljulaid, who expressed her joy that this year’s race had a noble purpose – strengthening the sense of community: “Running together with the swimmers of Team Alexela at the Ülemiste Night Run showed how every Estonian can become part of an athlete’s success story. The same goes for our crowdfunding platform “Minu Sportlane” – everyone can walk alongside an athlete and feel that they are part of something greater than just a medal. Thank you, Guido, for reminding us that the greatest achievements are born when the whole society stands together behind the athlete.” 

The amount raised for Team Alexela Team Estonia LA 2028 is directed to EOK’s crowdfunding platform “Minu Sportlane” which enables every individual and organization to support Estonian athletes on their journey to the top. The uniqueness of the platform is that 100% of each contribution goes directly to a specific athlete or team without commissions, under the supervision of the EOK. The team’s budget can be reviewed here: https://minusportlane.ee/projects/alexela-team-estonia-la-28