New ECCO Walkathon record in Berlin
2008 saw the 5th ECCO Walkathon in the German capital set a new record: despite high chances of rain, 8,500 citizens participated in the walk, supporting the ECCO Walk for Life projects. The representatives of the three partnering charities were happy to accept a cheque over 75,000 euros. The donation was based on the distance covered by all participants and the children's "treasure hunt" where kids up to 12 years raised 2,500 euros that were added to the kilometres.
A surpise guest at this year's Berlin Walkathon was Germany's Ambassador to Kenya, Walter Lindner. He pointed out the importance of society's commitment to fighting poverty in Kenya and other African countries. The city and federal state of Berlin was represented by Undersecretary of State, Monika Helbig, who opened the event. As a musical highlight, Andrej Hermlin and his big band played authentic 40's and 50's swing.
We would like to thank all participants, the more than 230 volunteers, our local partners and all artists that contributed to the record success of this fantastic even!
Event results:
Participants: 8,500
Distance covered: 72,500 km
Children's treasure hunt: EUR 2,500
ECCO’s donation to charity: EUR 75,000
Charity projects:
Street Kids International receives EUR 21,371 [read about this project]
WWF Germany receives EUR 23,298 [read about this project]
German Heart Institute Berlin receives EUR 30,529 [read about this project]
ECCO & LEISER – A strong partnership in Berlin
The name LEISER will be familiar to everyone who lives in Berlin. Founded in Berlin in 1891, the shoe retailer now has around 80 stores across Germany and a workforce of some 1,200 people. The event partnership was born in 2004 under the guidance of LEISER's managing director Dr. Hermann Wedel, whose staff were actively involved in the planning and implementation of the event from the outset. The firm makes a considerable commitment; every year, 80 to 100 employees from the various local branches volunteer their services as Walkathon stewards!
A big thanks to the following national and international partners for their support of the 2008 event in Berlin:
- W.L. Gore / Gore-TEX
- KPMG
