In the aftermath of the earthquake that hit the Italian central provinces of Rieti and Ascoli Piceno, Aspiag Service, the SPAR licence holder for Northeast Italy, has initiated a collection of funds to help support the local communities affected by the disaster.

Customers of DeSPAR, EUROSPAR and INTERSPAR stores in Northeast Italy and the Emilia Romagna region have been given the chance to make free donations on top of their purchases. The response has been so great that in the first weekend, over €160,000 had already been raised. Unsurprisingly, the most generous donations so far have come from Friuli Venezia Giulia (€77,000), which suffered a similar tragedy back in 1976. The regions of Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto have also made significant contributions.

Paul Klotz, Managing Director of DeSPAR Nordest, said: “There are no words to express our condolences for the victims and our solidarity for those who have lost everything. We feel it is our duty to translate into concrete acts our sense of corporate responsibility and support for the provinces and municipalities hit by the earthquake. We know that we can do a lot thanks to the generosity of our customers who have always been very responsive to these kinds of appeals.”

The collection will continue for a few weeks and the funds will be donated to the Italian Red Cross.

This is not the only initiative taken up by Aspiag Service. A truck full of supplies has also been provided to the Red Cross warehouse for distribution to communities.