DESPAR Nordest raises a total of €328,000 for earthquake relief fund
Download imageThe instore fundraising, which ended on 2 October, led to the collection of more than €328,000. The entire sum was transferred to a special bank account opened by the Italian Red Cross for the collection of money to support reconstruction work after the earthquake.
The money was raised through more than 217,000 donations made by customers at the checkout counters of SPAR stores. A large part of the money raised came from stores operated by SPAR Partner, Aspiag, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, where customers donated €196,000 through some 182,300 donations. This shows the great generosity of the local community, many of whom share memories of a tragic earthquake that hit their region in 1976.
In Veneto and Emilia Romagna more than €68,700 was collected by means of 19,777 donations. Customers in Trentino and Alto Adige also sympathised with the hard-hit area. The average donation there was the highest: more than €4, leading to a total of €63,845.
“We knew we could count on our customers’ generosity as they have always responded with readiness to this type of charity initiative. Our most sincere thanks and gratitude goes to them. A special thank you also goes to our colleagues at the SPAR Supermarkets, who were able to keep the consumers’ focus on this initiative,” said DESPAR Nordest Managing Director, Paul Klotz. “We are going to work closely with the Italian Red Cross to coordinate relief efforts and make sure that the funds are quickly and efficiently received by the communities that were affected by the earthquake.”
DESPAR Nordest also donated a full truckload of essential supplies to the earthquake-stricken communities. A video of the journey of the DESPAR truck tells the story of this special delivery from the moment the truck was loaded at a DESPAR Distribution Centre, until the time it reached its destination at the Logistics Centre of the Italian Red Cross in Avezzano on 30 August.