Visa Card Supports Spanish Paralympic Movement

The new card, which has the logo of the Spanish Paralympic Committee and the word "Paralimpicos" on it, is free of cost, can be purchased by any person (client or not of Caja Madrid) and payments can be sent to other banks as well. One percent of the commissions of the card uses will be dedicated to the Paralympic athletes of Spain.

The card is the outcome of an agreement between Caja Madrid and the Spanish Paralympic Committee, after Caja Madrid has joined as one of the founding sponsors of 'Plan ADO Paralimpico'.

The card initiative was supported by Visa International, World Wide Partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and official partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and was already launched in some other European countries before.

The release is taking place just three months before the Opening of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, where the Spanish team wants to repeat the success of Athens 2004 winning 71 medals. The presentation of the card in Madrid was also attended by some of the Spanish top athletes including Adolfo Acosta, Carmelo Garrido and Alfredo Cuadrado (Football 5-a-side), Gema Hassen-Bey (Wheelchair Fencing), David Garcia del Valle (Judo) and Ruben Perez (Wheelchair Tennis).

The Secretary General of the Spanish Paralympic Committee and IPC Vice President, Miguel Sagarra, affirmed the Spanish Paralympic Committee’s aim of this initiative to "give the Paralympic Movement more visibility".

“This visibility is important for us, so that society recognizes the Paralympic Movement and better understands, supports and respects our athletes. When our athletes are on a Football field, on a Judo mat, fighting in a Fencing competition or on a Tennis court, the disabilities are left in the locker rooms”, he added, before he expressed his wish that after the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games there will be new areas of collaboration to be developed with Caja Madrid.