Iniesta's Boot Raises 100,000 Euros

Football - Chelsea v FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg - Stamford Bridge, London, England - 6/5/09..Andres Iniesta Photo via Newscom

The boot with which Iniesta scored his famous goal at Stamford Bridge has raised 100,000 Euros for the treatment of Javier, a child with Cerebral Palsy. The funds were raised via a Lottery held by the Javier's family, but now its been learned that the winner has not yet claimed his/her's prize. The winning ticket was sold in Hellín, a town and municipality located in the south of the province of Albacete, in Castile-La Mancha, Spain. The lottery was held on the 18th of November. Javier's aunt contacted Iniesta's family to return the boot, but they informed her that they can continue to give the boot out. Now with the winner not coming forward to claim their coveted prize, the family have the option of auctioning the boots. With Iniesta's fame skyrocketing following his World Cup winner, this could be the ideal time to auction the boots and raise money.

Javier's family have to travel to Philadelphia every March and August to receive personalized therapy. Each trip is expected to cost 10,000 Euros. Javier's aunt, Encarna Pérez Martínez has spent years raising money to help her nephew and his parents travel to Philadelphia twice a year. She send a poster(of Iniesta's famous goal) and a Barça shirt that she had bought to the star's family in the hope that he would sign them. Her idea was to conduct a lottery to raise the money for next session of therapy and was overwhelmed to discover that when they were returned to her duly signed by the Barça star, also included in the parcel were the very boots Iniesta was wearing when he scored against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals this year. 'A member of Iniesta's family had told me that there was another surprise in the parcel which could be used for another raffle, so I expected a signed ball or something like that,' said Encarna. 'But when we opened the parcel and found the boots we were overwhelmed. We are so grateful,' she added.