Two leaders in their respective fields team up for the benefit of children battling illness and disease. For real!
It is the new buzzword on the block: CSR, short for Corporate Social Responsibility. The concept is simple and easily understood. A company generating profits by selling products in a given country, has a certain responsibility to give back to the community where business in conducted. So far so good.
“Many companies have over the years approached C4C as a potential partner for CSR projects”, reflects Manfred Franke, C4C’s founder and chair. “Sad to say, most of these opportunities turned out to be just corporate efforts conducted with little enthusiasm or mere photo-ops to show that CSR projects do take place”.
However, this can’t be said of C4C’s cooperation with Kaufland CR! As a successful player on the Czech marketplace, the management of Kaufland CR understands that sustained success is only achieved if a company finds a way to truly get involved in social and community issues in the country they are doing business in.
“I must say, when Kaufland says that they want to be the general partner in our Dr. Clown initiative – they mean what they say”, marvels Rafal Wojas, C4C’s co-founder, “Uberclown” and project manager of the Dr. Clown program – the Czech Republic first and original hospital clown initiative, first launched in 1999.
Because of Kaufland’s sponsorship of Dr. Clown, thousands of hospitalized children across the Czech Republic can enjoy regular clown visits, helping them to recover from serious illnesses via C4C’s tried and proven “Smile Therapy”!
“Sufficient funding also allows us to put the necessary emphasis on the keeping up the professional standard and qualifications of our hospital clowns through regular workshops and seminars”, explains Rafal further. All C4C clowns are certified hospital clowns and are being trained in improvisation, acting skills, magic and child psychology on an ongoing basis.
Not having to worry about having to find new sponsors and partners for C4C’s Dr. Clown initiative is, of course, a great burden lifted off our shoulders. It frees the C4C team to do what they’re supposed to be doing: taking care of thousands of children less fortunate than others and giving them a helping hand and a chance in life!
As if sponsoring the majority of the Dr. Clown program was not enough for Kaufland, for good measure they also sponsored a brand new VW 9 seater van so clowns can get to their appointments on time.
Future partner projects will include tackling teambuilding efforts by getting Kaufland employees involved and assisting C4C’s clown teams during their hospital visits, passing out small gift bags to hospitalized children and much more.
“A partner in need is a partner indeed”, smiles Rafal as he gets into the driver seat of his new clown vehicle to take his team to the Vinohrady Hospital, where Dr. Clown is expected to administer Smile Therapy this afternoon.
Thank you, Kaufland!
