When Vasco enters the field to face Tombense with the letters X on the back in the space normally destined for the athletes’ names, the fans will have their curiosity piqued. Upon returning to the final stage, players will wear shirts with their parents’ names on them. The action is a partnership with the Public Defender’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro, responsible for the project “My origin. Our history”, which seeks to make the population aware of the importance (and guarantee the right) of recognizing paternity in the birth certificate.
In addition to drawing attention to the topic, the partnership involves two actions in communities with which the club has links: Barreira do Vasco, a place where the link is already historical, and Cidade de Deus, a neighbor of CT Moacir Barbosa. In about two weeks, the project will lead workshops to guide parents on how to register their children and how to reach an agreement in the case of custody, coexistence and alimony without conflict. In addition, those who wish to take a paternity test will be helped by the agency’s employees, which even before the pandemic promoted an average of 1,500 free DNA tests per year.
“My origin. Our story” has been around for a year. But it was born virtually, due to the pandemic. The game against Tombense was chosen because it is on the eve of Father’s Day, a date initially created to move the trade with the purchase of gifts and which, more recently, has also been used for the debate on issues related to paternity. According to the Public Defender’s Office, Vasco himself took the initiative to propose a partnership to publicize the project.
– The X on the back represents the empty name of the father on the birth certificate – explains Vasco’s vice marketing manager Vitor Roma. – Vasco already has the fight against racism in his blood. And in recent years it has also promoted campaigns against femicide, homophobia and so on. This is yet another fight that the club takes up to make a difference in society.