T-Mobile Fund supports the 'Music Overcoming Barriers' project

• The Rainbow Children will perform at a Christmas concert at the Plzeň Town Hall on 17 December
• The unique choir composed of disabled and healthy children performs at concerts throughout the Czech Republic and is also successful abroad
• Music therapy helps disabled children overcome obstacles posed by the world around them.

Prague/Plzeň 14 December 2006 - An unusual yet already traditional concert will take place at the Plzeň Town Hall on 17 December. The Rainbow Children, a choir in which physically and mentally handicapped and healthy children sing and play together, will begin their performance at 6:00 pm. The "Music Overcoming Barriers" project received a grant of CZK 50,000 from the T-Mobile Employee Fund based on a recommendation by Bohumil Koča, whose wife and son are members of the Sport Relax Handicap association.

The Sport Relax Handicap civic association, under whose auspices the choir performs its activities, was established in 2003. Its initial aim was to use music therapy to facilitate the integration of disabled children and therefore it launched its own project called "Music Overcoming Barriers". The Rainbow Children choir forms part of this project. It regularly organizes concerts all over the country and is a frequent and welcome guest at Czech and international festivals. The choir has recently returned from a week-long trip to Rome, where one of its performances was broadcast by Radio Vatican. 

"The dedicated and highly professional work of the association gives disabled children a unique space for self-fulfillment," says Martina Kemrová, spokeswoman for T-Mobile.

The concert at the Plzeň Town Hall, accompanied by an exhibition of photos by Václav Čubr, will feature original works created for the Rainbow Children by the composer Milada Karez and a series of Christmas carols. The proceeds from the concert are intended for the support of the activities of the Sport Relax Handicap association, whose latest goal is, among other things, the development of the Ateliér centre for both disabled and healthy children.  

"Music helps disabled children to strengthen their will and self-confidence," says Anna Bělohlavá, who has been leading the choir since its creation, together with Krista Henzáčková. "The children sing and play simple musical instruments. Music helps them concentrate, and they often even forget their physical problems," says A. Bělohlavá.

The pilot T-Mobile Fund project intended for the company's employees received 166 applications this year. Of these, 39 projects were selected, among which the total amount of CZK 2,133,000 will be distributed.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.