The Movement On Own Feet - Centipede

A year has passed and we got together again – as each year again in Prague – on Friday, December 8. Since morning, groups of children with their teachers walked around Prague. It was easy to guess about purpose of their visit – Christmas Centipede mass and Centipede’s Christmas concert.
At 11 o’clock, the gate of the Church of St. Jan of Nepomuk opened to the children. Mrs. Bìla and main chaplain of the Czech Army Lt.Col. Jan Kozler welcomed all the visitors. During the service, the Centipede choir sang the Centipede anthem „Never Be Alone“. In the church it sounded even more festively than usually. The chaplain emphasised the importance of helping our close ones and thanked the children for the help they give to their friends in the less lucky parts of the world.
After 2 p.m., the first visitors of the Centipede Christmas concert started to gather in front of Lucerna Palace. Lucerna hall was full of them – over 1300 children and Centipede friends not only from the Czech republic, but even from Slovakia. Everybody was really looking forward to the beginning of the concert. And they had a good reason…
… at first, little dancers from Vsetín danced wonderful czardas. After that, a very popular and well-known actor Vojta Kotek came in. He introduced the program of the concert and immediately invited Mrs. Bela to the floor. Both of them welcomed all the guests. Mrs. Bìla thanked everybody for the whole-year work and reminded where the results of the work aimed – to children in Thailand and Cambodia, to children in Oparany, in Bosnian village Grk – those are the places where the Centipede help landed. A new microbus to Oparany, school equipment and money for medicaments, food and housing for the HIV positive children to Thailand and Cambodia. In Grk a small school for 25 children was built with the huge help of the Czech soldiers. Moreover, each of the pupils got a full school bag. The children learned that in the near future, a water pipe will be built for the school kids in Afghanistan. Also here the soldiers from CIMIC will help. Vojta has introduced another singer – Viktoria. She sang the hits that made her famous during last year. Singer Ewa Farna was another star of the afternoon.

One hit after another followed and the children knew all of them, as Ewa has been very popular. Another special guest of the program came – Mr. Frantisek Lambert, director general of the program section of the Czech TV. He told the children that Czech TV supported the charity programs of the children and in the future it will co-operate on broadcasting the Centipede Christmas concert that has been a part of the Christmas TV afternoon program for many years now. The program continued and another nice guest came to the floor – the patron of the Centipede Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army – Gen. Stefka. A huge applause welcomed him. General told the children about the co-operation of the Czech soldiers and Centipede and pointed out that the Czech Army will go on with this wonderful co-operation. In the end, the biggest star of the afternoon – Miro Zbirka – came to sing his greatest hits. The children were really thrilled.

The time has flown and we had to say good bye. We are already looking forward to the next Centipede’s concert. See you again next year !!

At 7 p.m., the teachers and Centipede´s friends met at a small dinner. Among the special guests, who also visited the concert in the afternoon were other significant supporters of Centipede – the Grand Prior of the Czech Grand priory of the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem His Excellency Jan Count Dobrzensky z Dobrzenicz, Mr. Petr Rehor from the Order fo St. Lazarus of Jerusalem and bailli of the Order Mr. Ondrej Vanke. Ing. Jan Kopriva, the Deputy Defence Minister accepted the invitation as well.