News

On February 13th, Neila Baumiliene, Director of Kazickas Family Foundation New York office, and Arminas Vareika, Director of "Basketball Power" program, met with Police Commissioner General of Lithuania Linas Pernavas.

During his visit to Lithuania, Peter Kazickas joined Basketball Power program's coach Arminas Vareika in his Monday night practice at XXX. This is one of the first programs in the country where children with special needs can come together and play sport.

Neila Baumilienė, Director of the Kazickas Family Foundation (New York) organized a meeting on combatting Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) at the Kazickas Family Residence in Vilnius Friday afternoon.

Peter and Annalina Kazickas' final meeting of the trip to Lithuania was with the Academy of Robotics in Vilnius to learn about their initiative and discuss future partnerships with Basketball Power as it seeks to expand into the coding and programing area. That led to Academy of Robotics inviting KFF grantee Ariogala Day Center "Ariogalos tėkmė" representatives, a team of five students to be guests at the Vilnius Regional FLL competition in OZAS, X-Planet.

During the visit to Lithuania, Kazickas Family Foundation's New York office Director Neila Baumiliene met with the Minister of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania Linas Kukuraitis and Daina Urbonaitiene, Family and Community Department Director.

During their visit to Lithuania, Marcie and John Kazickas, together with their niece Annalina and nephew Peter had an honor to meet US Ambassador to Lithuania Anne Hall. Annalina and Peter also had an opportunity to spend time with the Ambassador and representatives from the US Embassy to discuss various issues in Lithuania that the Kazickas Family Foundation is working to address.

Day centers are vital to small towns and villages of Lithuania. They provide school children with a calm, safe and warm space for after school activities, including space for homework. 

WHAT A DAY! Once again, KFF was humbled and honored to be part of yet another partnership, now with Physically Challenged Wheelchair Basketball team “Draugyste"( EN:"Friendship”) and somewhere seen and famous group of men, Basketball Community/Club “Kažkur Matyti" (EN: "Somewhere Seen”), which takes on social responsibility challenges without any hesitation, with full force, open minds and hearts.

Special thank you to the individuals over at Technarium for showing Annalina Kazickas, Peter Kazickas, Neila Baumilienė and Arminas Vareika your space! Housed in an old paper factory, the Technarium is a community workspace where technologies include anything from 3D printing and a CNC machine to old-fashioned sewing machines, metal work to ceramics, and, of course, an indoor greenhouse.

Social responsibility Basketball Power program, funded by the Kazickas Family Foundation, works in Juvenile Detention Centers of Lithuania.