Debrecen4U September 29, 2025

Debrecen got moving with Szent László, ending the week with a creative team competition

The teams competed in creative events in the competition titled “Move with Szent László!” (Saint Ladislaus).

A total of twenty schools entered the two-day competition held on September 25-26, 2025, where teams from surrounding settlements also arrived. The finals on September 26 featured the best among primary school-age students from ten schools.

The team from St. Ephrem Greek Catholic Primary School performed outstandingly in the semi-finals, finishing first in almost every competition.

“We really want to win the competition. Fortunately, we won last year, or rather our predecessors did, and now we’ve started with a largely new team. Our main goal is, of course, to win, but what is more important is to have fun and give it our all,” a member of the Szent Efrém team, Johanna Szabó, said.

The event, organized as part of the “Move, Debrecen!” initiative’s school program, was hosted for the third time by the Szent László Greek Catholic Grammar School and Technical School. The institution places great emphasis on exercise and a healthy lifestyle, especially because it also trains healthcare professionals.

“We have a lot of events and sports competitions here at the school too. Just to name a few: last week we took 120 of our students on a pilgrimage to Máriapócs, and we are currently organizing a ski camp, which is also a tradition for us,” the head of the Szent Ephrem Greek Catholic Primary School, Éva Hámori, highlighted.

The aim of the program is to instill a love of regular exercise in children from a young age. As part of “Move, Debrecen!”, two separate exercise programs are provided per week in addition to physical education classes, up to the sixth grade. Events like the current competition also give seniors the opportunity to exercise and build community.

“When we started the school program, our goal was to take the children out of the stress of school a little bit and provide them with programs that no one had ever given them before,” Deputy Mayor Diána Széles said, adding that the school program not only strengthens the body but also the community spirit.

In addition to cups and medals, the competitors also took home valuable gifts. According to the organizers, the greatest reward was that students gained joyful experiences through physical activity, a positive atmosphere, and community connections.

Based on the total points, the final results of the competition were as follows:

1. Ferenc Kölcsey Reformed Practice Primary School (Debrecen)
2. St. Joseph Catholic Kindergarten, Primary School, High School, and College (Debrecen)
3. János Hunyadi Primary School (Debrecen)
4. Saint Ephrem Greek Catholic Kindergarten, Primary School and Art School (Debrecen)
5. Árpád Tóth Grammar School (Debrecen)
6. István Bocskai Primary School and Art School – Tépe Branch (Tépe) and Pál Gönczy Primary School (Debrecen)
8. János Bolyai Primary School and Art School (Debrecen)
9. István Bocskai Primary School (Debrecen)
10. Ferenc Kazinczy Primary School and Art School (Debrecen)

Thanks to the support of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, Municipality of Debrecen, DVSC Handball Academy, DVSE, and Felföldi Kft., all finalists received gift packages, while the top-ranking teams were awarded medals and trophies.

Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu