On May 15, 2025, the Grain of Positive Donor Evening was held at the Amphora Hotel in Split's Žnjan, where 10.850 euros were raised during the auction alone, and the funds will be used to purchase specific sports equipment for Split para-athletes, as well as to raise public awareness of the numerous obstacles they face.
The project has already been supported by numerous celebrities from the world of sports, but also from public life in general, because paraathletes want to use this story to motivate others not to stay at home locked up in four walls with their problems, but to join them in sports.
The organizer of the donation evening is the Rotary Club Split Plus, which is celebrating 20 years of activity, and the beneficiary is the Parasports Association of the City of Split, which brings together twelve parasports clubs. The evening was crowned by moving and affirmative addresses to the attendees by Paralympian Dino Sinovčić and paraathlete tennis player Sven Maretić, as the best introduction to the auction of items belonging to famous people.
The evening was crowned by the auction of numerous valuable items belonging to famous people: Oliver Dragojević's tennis racket, the 'pajet' from Oliver's ship, Oliver's music collection by Ray Charles, the camera used to film Oliver's video 'Trace in Infinity', Goran Ivanišević's tennis racket, Luka Modrić's national team jersey, Joško Guardiola's national team jersey, Edin Džeko's Fenerbahča jersey and Toni Kukoč's Chicago Bulls jersey. Vesna Dragojević, the wife of our dear Oliver, also contributed to the auction. This event was attended by many famous people from public life, and Slaven Bilić attracted the most attention, who also stood out during the auction, and Zvonko Kotarac, Hrvoje Marušić and the famous fashion shoe designer Ivan Ledenko were not far behind in bidding.
A total of 10.850 euros were raised, and Oliver's racket went to the Kotarac family home for a record 4500 euros.
At the donor dinner, the 'Ante Raos Humanity Awards' were also awarded, in memory of the great humanitarian who started and led the Network of Persons with Disabilities in Dalmatia. Through the five-year humanitarian project 'Oscar of Humanity - Touch of Kindness', and through the humanitarian action 'We think of the days to come', whose trademark was Raos, great strides were made to make life easier for people with disabilities, the legislative framework for their employment was adjusted, and significant funds were collected for their needs.
This year, the 'Ante Raos' humanitarian award was awarded to:
O LA LA dinners by Lana Miko Iljadica and Lada Štefek, which started an avalanche of kindness 15 years ago, and there is almost no one in the city who has not cooked dinners for the homeless in their organization at least once. The people of Split have embraced their idea with open arms, and their mission still lives on, and so the homeless people of Split consume dinners cooked for them by their fellow citizens.
Marko Sučić and Siniša Šunjić for the respectable humanitarian action BRADATA AUCTION, which raises funds for the County League against Cancer and highlights the importance of preventing men's health, since prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men. Over the course of 8 years, around 350.000 Euros have been raised through this humanitarian action, and 150.000 Euros in last year's edition alone.
Damir Mihanović ĆUBI (posthumously) who, as a member of the Split Stars football team, a variety sports team, played many charity matches and launched many humanitarian initiatives. He performed countless of his plays "Tko radi śrjaka od gladi" (Who is doing the hunger strike) in which Ćubi plays the role of Neven for humanitarian purposes. Ćubi in the character of Master Neven was not only a great humanitarian, but also selflessly hid his selfless work. And after Master Neven left us, friends from his "Association Humane zvijezde Splita - Split Stars team" are organizing the "Damir Mihanović Ćubi" Memorial, which has a humanitarian character. Thus, his work, as well as Ćubi himself, continue to leave a trace of kindness among us.
The evening was spiced up with good music by Nena Belan, the band Diktatori, the jazz band "The Ministry of Swing", DJ Matthew Bee, and Ivo Jagnjić-Jare, a member of Dalmatin, spontaneously took the stage and played several of his musical hits.
Photo: Luka Mladinić
