The flood and you and me.

I always doubted the deeper sense of charity. Sure, donating money for those in need is a concept I did understand. But apart from that? Until that one recent day.

I am living in a small village close to Telekom HQ. This village was one of those hit by the Great Flood a few weeks ago. Our house was spared but others were hit very, very hard. The place still looks like a war zone, with people living in houses without drinking water, stable power supply and with walls soaked with water.

Sure, in the first days and two weeks after the Flood this topic gained a lot of attention by the media, support with heavy machines to clear the roads and riverbeds was provided. But now - it is the neighbors who are helping each other as there is nobody else to turn to getting sufficient support.

I was carrying debris from someone’s house cellar: 20kg each bucket, one left, one right carrying it upstairs to put it in a large lorry container. Felt good to lend a hand but when climbing the stairs a hundred times, in a house it’s owner I have not met before. But I wondered, if one could not do something more, something bigger. And I remembered a charity run I joined in late 2020. Yes, in that moment I realized charity will not only provide a small financial aid for those in need but also show the people that they are not alone. That there are people, they do not even know in person, but who actually do care. This is a very important part of the #resilience of people in personal challenging situations like this.

We say at #tsystems that #peoplemakeithappen and this would mean so much of a mental support for those in need. So, I set up the Charity Run & Walk for the people and victims of the flood in a small village close to Telekom HQ.

Key Takeaway: Big effort, great support and strong positive resilience source

And so many people liked and engaged in the charity. This was not expected, and this means so much for the people in this small village when I will tell them (most of them are older and have no LinkedIn or social media Account).

Although, I must admit that I underestimated the "long way" from a social media-like to actually lacing-up the shoes. The charity was not about finding the fastest but to activate people for a good cause and therefore, we have been able to put together:

• more than 150 runners and walkers and bikers worldwide
• spanned the globe with participants from Seattle/USA to Singapore/ASIA
• the charity reached sportspeople aged from 3- 68yr
• we all together donated 3.000€

The donations will help victims directly in the village and will be going to the officially enlisted Charity society "Metternich Hilft e.V.".

Thank you very much for your support and running, walking, and donating for a small village close to Telekom HQ.

Pls see our PhotoWall