The International Children’s Rescue Service is organizing the City Park Children’s Day on May 25 and 26, 2024. This year’s event focuses on health, sports, culture, internet security and the presentation of nations. Our goal is still that people living in worse financial conditions can participate in high-quality, cultured programs and have fun, play sports, and study without paying an entrance fee. Many families only have the opportunity to do so here throughout the year. Hundreds of thousands of children and adults visited the City Park last year for the popular event.

Renowned artists, musicians and other performers are waiting on the Children’s Rescue Main Stage both days with varied programs that appeal to all ages. For example, Mónika Veres “NIKA”, Paulina, Berni Solyom will perform, and to the delight of the younger ones, they will give a concert with the Rutkai Bori Banda and Réka Masni és Pocó Mihályi.

This year, we are preparing a special medical block on Nagyrét: the Children’s Rescue mobile dental clinic cannot be missing from the Városliget, which was purchased by the organization’s main sponsor, OTP Bank, in 1995, and has been involved in its maintenance ever since. The bus travels around the country from spring to autumn, its purpose being dental screening and examination of children who do not receive regular care. In 2023, we reached more than 2,000 children at eight locations, and on last year’s Children’s Day, almost 500 children were screened by our volunteer dentists. Our new dental bus will soon be ready, which will be environmentally friendly, more modern, spacious and equipped with modern equipment, so it will be able to help where it was not possible until now. According to the plans, the new bus will cost HUF 170-180 million, and it would start operating in the fall.

OTP Bank does not only support the health program of the Children’s Rescue: on Children’s Day, it will also welcome visitors with activities that increase educational and financial awareness, and at the OTP Children’s Day Football Cup, it will give gifts to participating children (T-shirts, balls, gym bags, toothbrushes and toothbrush cups).
In the dental hygiene tent next to the bus, children can learn about proper dental and oral care and healthy nutrition, while we motivate them with lots of toys and gifts.

The NGYSZ’s gynecological screening truck will also be set up, where volunteer gynecologists await those interested with advice. György Gottsegen National Cardiovascular Institute (GOKVI) will also be outside with the following programs: cardiology screening in a screening bus, pediatric examination (ECG, blood pressure, pulse, weight, height, blood oxygen level measurement), physical exercise program with screening for: changes in the spine, crow’s feet, dietary advice, development of playing skills. The Szív-Kör Egyesület is also represented, the important task of which is to fulfill the role of a communication bridge between children with heart disease and their parents, and the healing institutions, and to facilitate contact.

The Budapest Red Cross will be present with a gambling prevention station. At the Teddy Bear Hospital, the Budapest Medical Students’ Association presents the important organs and functions of the human body on toy bears. On Sunday, there will also be a horse therapy presentation by the Hungarian Horse Therapy Association.

On the Sports Island (between the Kós Károly promenade and the Vajdahunyad promenade), the excellence of the Budapest Honvéd Sports Association moves the children. There will be laser pistol shooting, reflex development games, fitness challenges, speed and development games, jumping school. It will also be possible to play table tennis, basketball and football. The most active sports-loving children will not leave the Sports Island without gifts this year either.

The Safe Internet Tent is one of the most popular locations on Children’s Day. We welcome the children with computer games, quizzes, contests, advice and lots of gifts on the topic of safer internet use. This year, the Safer Internet Center operated by NGYSZ, Telekom, NMHH, NAIH, NKI, MNB Edulab and several companies dealing with cyber security, e.g. Fortix, Witsec.

The Street of Nations and the stage set up there are usually one of the most visited locations of the event, where numerous embassies and cultural institutes accredited in Budapest welcome those interested in different cultures, customs and traditions on Sunday. A record number of 23 countries are participating in the program this year. We thank the following embassies and cultural institutes for their support: Alfavit Foundation, Angola, United Arab Emirates, ELTE Confucius Institute, Europa Point, Philippines, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, China, Latvia, Lebanon, Hungarian Ibero-American Community, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia, Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Institute.

At BRFK’s Prevention Point, the main topics will be a safe digital life, drug prevention, contemporary abuse and animal protection. The Standby Police Squadron is preparing for a weapons technical demonstration, laser rifle shooting and a dog demonstration. A TunolOra – Interactive musical instrument exhibition. Children can try out many, many musical instruments. The staff of the Reno X Baráthegy Guide Dog School hold a sensitization session for those interested. In addition, there will be a helicopter simulator, face painting, bouncy castle, bubble party, balloon twister, and there will be opportunities for children to create in several locations. For example, they can work with leather, plaster, paint, draw and color.

This year, Gyermekmentő is also specially inviting 500 children with a difficult fate from Hungarian institutions and from across the border. The Service covers the accommodation and food costs of the guests, and the children also receive pocket money, and they can participate in the Museum of Ethnography’s educational sessions.

In addition to all this, on Sunday, 160 underprivileged children from Hungary and abroad will be able to see the HAB Hungarian Art & Business’s latest exhibition, “Conquering the Planet”, and can be a guest at the art center courtesy of the credit institution. MBH Bank and the International Children’s Rescue Service have been jointly supporting the studies of disadvantaged children for more than twenty-five years through the MBH scholarship program, and in addition – according to the partnership – the credit institution regularly participates in the organization’s initiatives aimed at supporting young people. The bank is also committed to supporting young people during its daily operations, for which it tries to provide them with accessible financial knowledge through wide-ranging partner collaborations.