Gary Burke, Managing Director of Wolverhampton-based Burke Bros Moving Group brought smiles to the faces of children in the El Chorrillo district of Panama City by presenting them with Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) football jerseys.

Gary was fulfilling a promise made to the football-mad children in 2018 when he visited a local school and saw at first hand how the ‘beautiful game’ was helping to improve the lives of children in one of the city’s most deprived areas.

The youngsters couldn’t wait to don the Wolves kit and get a game underway.  Since the World Cup they have had a small artificial football pitch built in El Chorrillo and another is being created.  The benefit of football and sport to the community is being increasingly valued by the Panamanians.  

El Chorrillo was the childhood home of a number of Panama’s national football team’s players and many have also achieved sporting greatness playing for top clubs around the world. Former local lads, Raul Jimenez, Diego Jota, Ruben Neves, Mouthino, Patricio, Costa, and Caveleiro, now play in the UK for the famous Wolverhampton club.

Gary Burke said, “We have strong connections with Central South America and were, of course, delighted to be able to play a small part in helping to encourage the youngsters of the area to pursue sport and football as a means of improving their opportunities as they grow up and create a life away from the streets.” 

Photo:  Gary Burke with some of the ‘Wolves’ players.