Kanu Heart Foundation receives strong support -By Henry Oyinlola

Kanu Heart Foundation – charity project found by famous Nigerian football star Kanu Nwankwo – keeps receiving strong support from well-known businesses. The major support was provided by Dubai’s property developing company The First Group, which only this year donated $30,000 to the fund. The fundament of this partnership was built a few years ago when Kanu became the company’s Ambassador as a member of The First Team. He is accompanied in it with such a prominent world sports figures as fellow footballers Michael Owen and Andriy Shevchenko, Russian Tennis star, Svetlana Kutznetsova and South African Rugby player, Bryan Habana.

Kanu Heart Foundation was found after Kanu’s own battle with a serious heart condition. The sporting legend underwent open heart surgery in 1999 shortly after leading Nigeria to an Olympic Gold Medal. This was a turning point for Kanu to decide helping African children with life threatening heart ailments.

The First Group CEO, Rob Burns met with Kanu in Lagos where he personally handed the cheque and encouraged the kids that will receive lifesaving treatment as a result.

“The Kanu Heart Foundation is a charity that is close to our hearts, not only because of Kanu’s connection to us as a brand ambassador, but also because it underlines The First Group’s own core ethos; a Foundation for Growth,” commented Danny Lubert. “To us, this goes beyond developing amazing property and growing assets. Our charity commitments all support the growth of young people through health and education, and thanks to Kanu’s unwavering commitment, these children will have a real chance at a brighter future. We are honoured to be a part of that.”

To date, the Foundation has carried out more than 459 heart surgeries and plans to open its own 40 bed Cardiac Specialist Hospital in Abuja. The hospital will provide free heart surgeries to children under 12 and highly subsidised ones for adults.