MUNICH 28 June 2004 – The sun shone brightly for last Saturday’s Day of Care 2004. “Give it a go and be a winner!” was the rallying cry for this “It’s a Knockout” style event with competitors with disabilities playing alongside competitors without disabilities. The event was organized by the consulting firm ESPRiT Consulting in cooperation with Caritas Munich and took place at the Salesianum in the Munich district of Haidhausen. As well as the main event, which attracted 120 enthusiastic participants and around 200 spectators, there was an extensive program of sideshows to entertain the kids, including a bouncy castle, face painting, and a clown show. The proceeds of this charity event will go to help children and young people cared for by Caritas Munich.
From 11 o’clock onwards, 120 competitors in 20 mixed teams set off to tackle the course: Ten games that included such challenges as cow milking, box piling, and rodeo riding. In the course of the event, the participants demonstrated their integration skills. Although they didn’t know each other in advance, they soon hit it off and quickly learnt to make good use of their individual strengths and abilities, which was essential to overcome a course that was extremely challenging in places. One minute wheelchair participants were being hauled over obstacles by their teammates; the next minute it was their teammates who needed the experts to show them how to negotiate the wheelchair course. ESPRiT consultant Henning Zimmer, who was on hand to assist participants in the sumo wrestling ring, gives an enthusiastic report of events: “It was just great to see how the participants really helped and motivated each other. Although they had never met before, there was a really good exchange of ideas, with everybody learning from each other and generally having a really great time!” The teams were judged less on their performance and speed than on their teamwork, the integration of all team members, the way that team members helped each other, and their social skills. After the prizes had been awarded at the end of the competition, the participants and spectators spent the rest of the day relaxing: Enjoying the music, enjoying the refreshments, enjoying the day together.
The patron for this event is Munich’s Deputy Mayor, Gertraud Burkert. “I’ve been enthusiastic about the idea of the Day of Care right from the start. When people with disabilities and people without disabilities play sport and have fun together, this bridges the gap between them, making them more sensitive to each other’s interests, and encouraging them to exchange ideas. And that is just what we need at the present time. The courage to get together and get something going – even without state intervention,” said Burkert as she outlined the motives for her patronage.
For Caritas Chief Executive Albert Hauser, this is an event that, above all, should spur other companies into action: “It is a matter of great importance to me that we search together for innovative solutions, especially at this time, when the welfare state is undergoing such profound changes. We welcome the active involvement of business enterprises in community and social ventures. I hope that the Day of Care will motivate more companies to become actively involved in their local communities.”
The background to this year’s event is the positive experience of the Day of Care 2002, when consultants from ESPRiT Consulting built a playground for the Caritas Addiction Clinic Fasanenhof in Munich. This was the foundation stone for an ongoing, constructive dialog with Caritas Munich. “The construction of a playground at Fasanenhof was a great experience for everyone involved, and it showed that so much can be achieved with active support for community projects,” said Stephan Marchner, Deputy CEO of ESPRiT Consulting. Marchner continued: “In Caritas Munich we have found the ideal partner, with whom we can identify and implement joint-projects; these projects we support on a personal level, not just financially. And that is something we feel strongly about.” In future, Caritas and ESPRiT Consulting intend to continue holding the Day of Care every two years.
Most of the costs for the Day of Care 2004 will be borne by ESPRiT Consulting. In addition, the event will be supported by donations of cash and equipment made by sponsors, such as 1A Video production GmbH, the events agency Kutnar, the lithography studio layoutsatz 2000, the Berlin agency for corporate communications madmedia, the manufacturer of fodder Royal Canin, the Spaten-Löwenbräu Group, the furniture company Who’s Perfect, the sport foods manufacturer Xenofit, Engpass Marketing GmbH, and Voss & Sonnenberg.
More detailed information about the Day of Care 2004 can be found at www.day-of-care.net.