On Thursday In Pilaite An environmental cleanup initiative was held, which was joined by five players from Vilnius' Rytas team. During the cleanup, more than half a ton of garbage was collected in less than an hour from parts of the Pilaitė forests and the shores of Lake Gelūžė, the deepest part of the district.
The pre-Easter evening turned out to be extraordinary for some of the residents of Pilaitė: Rytas basketball players Ąžuolas Tubelis, Gytis Masiulis, Ignas Sargiūnas, Ignas Urbonas and Martynas Paliukėnas joined the community's help near Gelūžė Lake. Rytas players not only rolled up their sleeves to clean up the environment, but also participated in the "Waste Basketball" education for children and adults organized by the Vilnius waste system administrator VASA.
"Vilnius is not only a place where we compete, but above all our home, our people. The cleanliness, orderliness, care for the environment and people of the city are respect for ourselves and those around us. I believe that only when we sincerely get involved in community life can we talk about a real connection. When different forces come together, true value is born - the feeling that we are together, that no one is left behind," said Ā. Tubelis.
For Vilnius' Rytas, this donation was part of the social campaign "Together Against All", when the "Rytas" family gathers outside the square to take steps towards a better common everyday life, inclusion, a cleaner city and a stronger community. Club representatives regularly participate in initiatives to help children, various social groups or four-legged friends, visit schools, contribute to improving the environment, and last year organized a tree planting campaign, so the donation in Pilaitė for Rytas was a natural continuation of valuable activities. According to the club, such activities contribute to team spirit, form mutual trust in the city and create a more sustainable and responsible Vilnius.
This community help was organized by the golden sponsor of "Rytas", the real estate development company "Homa Group", which completed the "Gilužios Rivjeros" apartment complex on the shore of Lake Gelūžė in Pilaitė a few years ago and is currently developing the two-building apartment building "Nendru" nearby, in the bends of a stream called Varne. According to the head of "Homa Group" Jurgita Kveselaitė, one of the company's strategic goals is the quality of people's daily life in each developed housing project. And it is determined not only by architecture, materials or interiors, but also by a pleasant and healthy environment, community spirit, the developer's relationship with residents and other details that are not immediately visible to the naked eye.
"Living in close contact with nature, we are obligated to take more care of it, take responsibility, and help it prepare for the change of seasons - this became the basis for today's campaign. In the forests and by the lake, as usual, we found tires, furniture remnants, car parts, and other waste that does not fit in with nature. It is amazing that local residents joined the initiative with great enthusiasm - together we managed to collect a serious pile of garbage. This shows that the residents of this area are truly not indifferent to their environment, the forests and water bodies surrounding them. On the other hand, when a team like "Rytas" reinforces this concern with their living example, the message about duties and responsibilities towards nature becomes particularly inspiring for residents and especially young people," says J. Kveselaitė.
Thursday Help is not the first joint initiative of "Rytas", "Homa" and the capital's communities. Last fall, the partners organized a training for children from the Lazdynėliai district and their parents together with coaches Gustas Maskoliūnas and Georgios Dedas, and in 2023-2024. LKL Ignas Sargiūnas, winner of the 2018 season's "Breakthrough of the Year" title.
