Important Events

• A terrible event happened on October, 23, in the evening. In Moscow cultural centre at Dubrovka, during the performance of the first Russian musical "Nord-Ost" Chechen terrorists took more than 700 hostages, among which there were a lot of children. The only Russian doctor who managed to establish a contact with terrorists, to provide medical, including surgical, help to people, and to get eight kids out of that hell was a member of Lions Club "Moscow Continental", the "children's doctor of the world", professor Leonid Roshal. He spent three days in the building stuffed with explosives. During these three days he was a doctor, an envoy and a reporters' assistant, i.e. he was a true Lion. Later, on October, 28, he had a meeting with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Their talk continued for almost an hour. In half a year Leonid Roshal celebrated his seventieth anniversary, and in April, 2003, the President awarded an Order of Courage to him. The President of International Lions Movement, Kay Fukushima, awarded a Medal of the World Community to him.
  
• On November, 6, 2002, immediately after the tragedy, I received a letter of condolence from Norway, from Multi District 104 c, in which there was an offer of help in rehabilitation of children hostages. After five months of active work, on March, 30, a group of twenty children hostages, students of Moscow school "Zolotoye Secheniye", followed by two teachers and Olga Kosinskaya, a Lion, together with Norwegian children and a Lion, Einar Lingar, flied from Sheremetyevo Airport to Oslo. Seven days of a good rest did good to the children. The parents who met them on April, 6, noted their shining eyes, fresh complexion and good mood.
  
• Among other important events of the years 2002-2003 we should note the ninth Moscow Festival of Handicapped Children's Arts traditionally organized by "Moskva-Sever" on December, 9, 2002, in Moscow Drama theatre named after M. Yermolova.
  
• More than 900 children took part in the festival. There were nine personal exhibitions of children's drawings and a splendid concert; the children got 7, 840 gifts and 280 prizes.