The foundation of the friendship between Vilniaus Duona and SKM is the message of wellness and leadership

One of the major partners of the Capital Basketball School (SKM) – Vilniaus Duona – will pay attention to school basketball in the 2024-2025 season as well.

Since 2021, we have been cooperating with such important projects as the Vilnius Bread–Lithuanian Kindergarten Championship and the Vilniaus Duona 3×3 basketball tournament.

Vilniaus Duona, which contributed to the development of SKM basketball players born in 2005, is currently helping the new generation, born in 2013, to reach the heights of basketball.

The SKM-I Vilniaus Duona team, led by Karolis Čyžius, is playing in as many as three championships this season.

In the "First Challenge" (U12) championship, the team has already won all 6 games played. SKM-I Vilniaus Duona is also participating in the Jr. NBA Lithuania championship and is very close to reaching the Final Four. In this championship, teams defend the honor not only of their school, partners, but also of real NBA clubs. SKM-I Vilniaus Duona won the title of the historic club New York Knicks in the Jr. NBA Lithuania championship.

"SKM Vilniaus Duona" also competes in the U13 A division of opponents a year older than themselves, where they achieved 3 victories in 6 games.

The basketball school's website SKM.lt interviewed Jolita Ažusienė, Head of Communication at Vilniaus Duona, who shared her thoughts on youth basketball and Vilniaus Duona's goals for creating a healthier society.

With what moods do you welcome another season of cooperation between Vilniaus Duona and SKM?

For four years now, we have been cooperating with SKM in a meaningful way, spreading the message of wellness. It is gratifying that SKM initiatives involve young people of all ages in basketball, thus developing the habit of playing sports from an early age.

You are not only a general partner of the SKM-I Vilniaus Duona team, but also an integral part of SKM's biggest events. What do events such as the Vilnius Duona Lithuanian Kindergarten Championship or the Vilniaus Duona 3×3 basketball tournament mean to you?

It is important to us that thanks to this basketball tournament, the benefits of sports, healthy lifestyle and balanced nutrition are discovered by the youngest, already from kindergarten age. After all, most of our colleagues in Vilnius Bread are parents and have children. Therefore, this topic is of concern both as business representatives and as parents.

At the same time, both in our company and in basketball, there are two things in common: leadership and team. We strengthen and grow these two aspects in our company as well by providing leadership training for all our colleagues. Because everyone can do significant things, but it's much easier to do it with support from the team.

What were the end of 2024 for Vilniaus Duonai?

This year has been meaningful. We continued to pursue our sustainability goals, so we implemented a number of investment projects related to this: for example, the heat return project, where we use the energy from the chimneys that used to go out to the winds for heating. Another project is energy consumption, when we record the consumption at almost every step of the bakery: how much water, electricity, steam, gas we consume. In total, we have invested EUR 1.3 million in production investment projects this year. euros. All of this contributes to efficiency solutions and more energy savings.

One of the top three goals in our sustainability strategy is to double the number of health-friendly products in our range within a few years. That is, having even more products that are from whole grains, have more fiber, less salt, as well as reduce the calorie content of treats.

We already have a lot of products that make up a third or even 45 percent of valuable seeds, as well as sugar-free baked goods, naturally leavened bread (sugar breaks down when it ferments), bread containing a fifth of protein, with valuable spelt flour, etc.

At the same time, it is important for us to preserve the place of bread in the diet as an attribute of Lithuanianness, after all, bread in the Lithuanian language is even synonymous with food and an integral part of our identity.

In today's world, more and more attention is paid to healthy lifestyle and longevity topics. How are these themes reflected in the activities and products of Vilniaus Duona?

For children who play sports and generally care about a balanced diet, we remind you of the importance of complex carbohydrates. You should choose bread rich in fiber and protein – this helps to ensure the need for energy, then you don't want fast carbohydrates, sweet, salty or fatty snacks.

Our bread sommelier Snieguolė Šoblinskienė does a lot of work educating the public about healthy choices of bread baked goods.

Together with SKM, it is important for us to help children develop healthy eating habits and remind them of the importance of bread in a complete diet. To help choose health-friendly bakery pastries so that they provide the body with the necessary substances and energy, replenish reserves of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and provide fiber to a young exercising body.

This season, SKM-I Vilniaus Duona basketball players led by K. Čyžius are fighting on three fronts – they successfully participate in the MKL U12 championship of their year, the Jr. NBA Lietuva championship and the U13 championship of opponents who are a year older. What would you wish for these young and active basketball players?

Drive. This is also one of our values. It doesn't matter if you're successful or if you're doing something harder, it's important whether you're learning from mistakes, improving, and moving forward. To discover not only a healthy body and a healthy soul in sports, but also to find a community. Friends. It is people who inspire us to achieve the greatest achievements.