Kranj, 7 September 2010 – On Saturday, 4 September 2010, the Sava Group organised the first Sava Group Day for employees and their family members. More than 500 participants attended this whole-day sports and social event. Within the framework of the Family-Friendly Company project, Sava Group companies so far have organised open days on different locations in the past, but this year employees and their families gathered on one place to jointly celebrate the 90th  anniversary of Sava.   

On this occasion the Sava Group donated €3,000 to the Ptuj Higher Specialist School to promote further development of the educational programmes of mechatronics, economist and countryside and landscape management; the donation was taken over by the Mayor of the Municipality of Ptuj, Dr Štefan Čelan, and the principal of the school Rober Harb.

The event started with welcome speeches by Janez Bohorič, Chairman of the Board of Management, Tatjana Lozar director of the Competence Centre HR, Law and Organisation at Sava d.d. and Andrej Klasinc, director of  Terme Ptuj, which hosted this event. A varied cultural, sports and entertaining programme followed.

The folk dance group Sava from Kranj, who for 60 years has been doing its best to preserve the cultural heritage of the Slovene nation, showed two dances, one from Gorenjska and another from Štajerska. The group consists of the  employees from Sava Group companies as well as students from Kranj and the surroundings who through their families or study are linked to Sava and its daughter companies. The choir Dečve, once formed from the folk dance group, shares their love for folk songs with the audience.  

The participants attended numerous sports activities from a prize winning quiz, which referred to Sava's 90th birthday,  viewing the theatre performance Restaurant prepared by the theatre group  Pupilla from Lendava, to testing dance skills with assistance by a break dancer.   

The most important part of the day was competitions prepared by the sports association Savčan and its sections operating within the Family-friendly company project. Associates and their family members could compete in swimming, running, tennis, playing football and beach volleyball. The best received medals and symbolic prizes conferred by Chairman Janez Bohorič. The rubber manufacturing company Savatech was the best in total score, which is why it received a transit cup Savercna, named after the goddess of the river Sava.  

The youngest ones could play and had much fun in the varied entertainment programme.  The mascots from all Sava's destinations – Stork Vili of Terme 3000, Swan Zaki of Sava Hotels Bled, Feather Friend Vili of Terme Ptuj, Squirrel Muki of the health resort Radenci, Pirate Edi of Terme Banovci and Knight Miha of Terme Lendava,  attracted numerous children and the youth to compete in juggling, walking on stilts , fencing and many others. Workshops of painting and producing various objects were held.

»In this joint meeting of employees from Sava Group companies an opportunity is provided to meet with the associates who work elsewhere in the Sava Group and have different line of work.  I am confident that in this social gathering as well as business meetings you will all get along well as we are bound with a common tie, which is the values of the Sava Group.  This year's prominent jubilee is a chance to celebrate and to propose a toast to Sava which with its new companies, programmes and young well-educated and highly motivated associates successfully builds its future. We believe that we can be successful only if the environment where we work is successful too, therefore, we are glad to help. Our donation to the Ptuj Higher Specialist School will be directed to obtaining knowledge, the educational programme namely coincides with our operation in Ptuj – rubber moulded products programme and tourism business of Terme Ptuj,« said Janez Bohorič, Chairman of the Board of Management of Sava d.d.,  and thanked the participants for coming as he believes that by doing this they not only showed their wish to get together with their colleagues and their families but also their loyalty to the Sava Group. Such associates make it clear that Sava Group will be a successful Group providing secure jobs in the future«, he finished.  

»For the first time, the Sava Group has organised a day for all employees and their family members at one site. In this way we celebrated the 90th anniversary of Sava's operation. This event is one of the measures from the Family-friendly company project and it was most welcome, which has been proven by numerous participants.  For the first time, this social event involved sports games. After successfully auditing the implementation of measures which led to obtaining a full Family-friendly company certificate we have recently adopted new measures for making additional improvements oriented to the well-being and content of our employees, which will result in a stronger loyalty to the company and thus an easier coordination of professional career and family lives,« said Tatjana Lozar, Director CC HR, Law and Organisation at Sava d.d.  

Sava, d.d.
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