News

CAN'T IMAGINE LIVING JUST FOR MYSELF..

By Viktoras STANISLOVAITIS

March 4, 2020

Original Article in Lithuanian

Translation: KFF

In a week our “Diamonds” will be announced during the special ceremiony at Pasvalys Music School. Pumpenai native, currently living in Vilnius, Arminas Vareika, is in the run for the most prestigious Pasvalys region award.

Twenty seven year old man, running the Kazickas Family Foundation program “Youth Can”, is well known not only in Pasvalys region. The program reaches few hundred children in 16 Lithuania’s small towns providing them an opportunity to develop important life skills, build character and lead an active lifestyle. Events, organized by Arminas and his brother Martynas bring many celebrities and guests to Pumpenai from entire Lithuania. Arminas is a person that unites Pumpenai and leads by showing how much you receive by giving.

You are quite well known because of your versatile work. How do you choose friends?

I believe a term “Friend” has few meanings. Some people are close friends, others are friends that we walk hand in hand reaching for the same goals. I call someone a friend from the moment we find something in common. When you go for something noble, it is crucial to have a large circle of friends who walk with you. You can accomplish so much more together.

You live for others. What influenced such a choice?

There is a certain foundation of the values laid by my family and some special people.

My grandmother Julija hat lives in Talkoniai was that person who taught me to take care of the one next to you before you take care of yourself. Observing her efforts to help the others and love that she received in return, I started realizing what exactly the true happiness in life is. While you focus on the others instead of yourself, you build a large and positive circle of love around you. People around you feel your will to give and naturally come back to share as well. It all comes back in the ways impossible to measure…

It is an honor to work at the Kazickas Family Foundation. Dr. Jospeh Peter Kazickas is a Pasvalys Petras Vileisis High School graduate, my role model and a guide helping me to find balance between the family and the others. If he managed to help Lithuania and even few other countries, I am grateful to have an opportunity to serve my native town that gave me so much in life.

You are 27 now. Let’s go back 20 years ago. Who was that seven year old Arminas in the middle of Pumpenai field?

I will probably be forever grateful for growing up in a small community. I’m glad that my parents allowed me to be an active person, trusted me and let me be an independent child – street games, swimming in the lake, adventures – experiences you can’t imagine your childhood without. The fact that they didn’t supervised my every move, that I had a chance to correct my inappropriate behavior helped me to become an independent person today.

My mom Virginija gave a piece of her heart to me and my brother Martynas. There was never lack of her love and care. Dad Arvydas showed me that there is always way out, no matter how complicated the situation is. He’s the person who taught us business, showed us how to explore our ideas, how to never give up and work hard if you want to succeed.

You constantly mention the values. What are they? What does it mean to be a part of the Vareika family?

Our family is very close. No matter how busy we are, we always find time for each other. It is exciting to see family growing. We can’t even imagine living thinking just of ourselves.

The fact that my brother and I are very passionate about returning home and doing something special for Pasavalys people proves that everything was done right. I will try to pass this love on to my children.

Your brother Martynas… 

My best friend and role model… Many childhood mischiefs… He is four years older and quite often when we got in trouble, he’d be the one paying the consequence. I remember once I broke the vase. While Mom was giving him a lecture, I was playing outside and kept peeking if it’safe to come home. My brother often reminds me about those consequences and I am grateful to him.

Arminas always discusses with his brother all the initiatives in Pasvalys region.

Every step, every project in Pasvalys area gets discussed. My brother is that “black horse” that works hard and is usually invisible. Martynas – is one of the most important people in my life. Now we both live in Vilnius, just 100 meters apart.

There are so many people in your life. Can you name who were the first ones that changed the path of your life?

I finished eighth grade in Pumpenai and then graduated from Pasvalys Petras Vileisis High School. Back then I didn’t really appreciate everything and wasn’t “the smartest” student in the class. However, today I am equally grateful to everyone. No doubt that every person I’ve met in my life gave me something, especially if it was an educator.

My brother took me to the basketball practice in Pasvalys one day. I met my first coach Gediminas Zardeckis there. He taught me discipline, how to work hard and never give up. My relationship with the coach is still strong today.

“Armina’s came to my practice with his brother. He was the youngest player on the team, but a very driven and skilled boy. He wanted to learn to play basketball. It‘s a logical team sport. I saw him leading the team from the very beginning, he was a responsible player and a gifted leader. He learned a lot from playing basketball. Arminas is who he is because of his special environment, his family and friends. I‘m so glad to see him successful in Vilnius today, doing what he loves to do, working for the Kazickas Family Foundation. Arminas – is a young man of faith who is not just focused on himself, he always asks ‚what can I do for the others'? People like Arminas are Lithuania‘s future.“ - Gediminas Zardeckas – Arminas’ first basketball coach.

I was ten years old when Father Domingo came to Pumpenai. Together with Father Marko, they’ve just arrived to Lithuania and my neighbor and I were their first visitors. We knew they didn’t speak Lithuanian and we didn’t speak English, but we stopped by and offered our help to bring the wood in.  After a long day of work, they invited us for a cup of tea. We were intrigued by their invitation, we enjoyed some cookies, tried to communicate using our hands and laughed a lot. Domingo’s presence in Pumpenai affected and enriched my life.

Today Pumpenai can’t imagine life without the events you bring to its people. “Youth Can” initiative reaches children all across Lithuania and got President Dalia Grybauskaite’s attention… How did it all start?

It started about 16-17 years ago when few of my classmates and I were weeding the school stadium, getting ready for the tournament and inviting the teams. We never even dreamed that it would become something bigger…

There was constant movement, we were always looking forward getting together, working as a community, doing something together. There were local events with Domingo, basketball tournaments, searching for ways to get funds for trips abroad. It was a natural progression towards the initiatives and ideas that we  work on today.

During his studies at Vilnius University, Arminas met his future wife Elena who is from Birzai. After realizing they had so much in common, they’ve been together for 7 years already.

After High School graduation I continued my studies at Vilnius University. I dreamed of a basketball career, but after realizing it was quite an unrealistic goal in Lithuania, I started working as a basketball coach at the Capital Basketball School.  There I also started running all kinds of events with youth. That was not a typical coach responsibility, so school offered me a manager position. I agreed. About a year and a half later I became an assistant director. At the same time I finished my studies at the Mykolas Romeris University.

I started working with “Youth Can” program at the Capital Basketball School. Soon I’ve noticed that there is huge need to develop and expand the program, so I ended up at the Kazickas Family Foundation.

Quite often a person leaves a small town when opportunity arises and never looks back. They rarely or never return. I was in a similar situation. But when “Youth Can” program took me to other small towns, I realized that nothing has changed since I left Pumpenai. It hit me that no one will ever come and change it for us. We have to start the change.

My brother brought up that tournament in Pumpenai was coming up, asked if I wanted to help to make it more sophisticated and fun. That’s when it all began. The event was quite successful and the locals were very excited. That encouraged us to do even better, we realized there was so much room to grow, so we just continue growing for the sixth year in a row.

Quite often it is assumed that there is no future at the remote regions. Economy is slow, the cost of living is low. You travel a lot through such areas. Is it true that remote regions have no future?

There is certainly room for improvement at small towns and they need many resources. However, I see a different approach. If every person from a small town (majority of city population comes from small towns) just looked back at their home towns, we’d come a long way. We don’t need the miracles. One hour of your time, one euro can go a long way in your home town.

“Youth Can” program, ran by Arminas, initiates various local events for young people in their local communities.

It is a belief that Vilnius will become the place where you make the most money, however it won’t become the happiest place though. It is crucial to understand what you want from life. Career, money, honor, or just happiness and to feel needed. When you figure it out, it becomes quite obvious that small towns have an advantage compared to large cities. And one more important thing. I meet so many children while traveling through towns. They might not have as much as their peers in the cities, but their eyes seem much brighter. They know how to be happy with simple things in life. It is truly rewarding to work with the youth and their educators in small towns. What I receive in return from them is the force that keeps me going forward.

Thank you!

Photo above: Arminas Vareika with his brother Martynas

Photo bellow: Arminas Vareika with KFF team

Photos from A. Vareika personal archives