2018 | ESG

Charity Rally from Germany to The Gambia: Aid that makes a difference

On 3 March 2018, Tanja Meyer of OIL! petrol stations and her rally partner Hans-Werner Hertzsch set off on a real adventure alongside around 50 other teams: they took part in a rally where the focus was not on time, but on simply reaching the finish. Their destination was Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, over 7,000 kilometres away. The pair covered the distance in a car that had been purchased specifically for the occasion. They paid all the travel costs out of their own pockets – including accommodation, tolls, meals and the return flight, as well as the purchase of the vehicle.

The team received a great many donations in kind. In return, everyone who donated something was given space for a sticker on the car. This rally has been organised by the Breitengrad e.V. association since 2006. It takes place twice a year, in February/March and October/November.

All the rally participants’ vehicles were auctioned off on site to the highest bidder. The auction was organised by the NGO DBO (Dresden-Banjul Organisation) and the proceeds went towards DBO aid projects as well as schools, hospitals and other aid projects in need. Robert Kurtze, Managing Director of OIL! petrol stations, naturally jumped at the chance to support his colleague in this extraordinary project. In addition to donations in kind, a generous fuel voucher was also provided.

The car itself raised just under 4,000 euros for charity at the auction at the finish line. In total, all the cars in the rally raised approximately 130,000 euros for the various aid projects through the auction.