For the eighth time, SPAR Denmark is offering over 1,600 Danes a free ride home for Christmas. With more than 40 Christmas-decorated buses, SPAR Denmark provides a cosy alternative to public transport. On 21 December, the buses will operate 41 routes across the country, stopping 140 times. This initiative demonstrates SPAR Denmark’s commitment to its communities and is especially popular among students and families with limited resources.
SPAR Hungary’s ‘Joy to Give’ campaign, run in partnership with the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, helps bring Christmas cheer to those in need. This year, from December 1–17, customers were invited to buy donation cards in 88 SPAR and INTERSPAR stores or online, contributing to food packages for the less fortunate. From 12–17 December, volunteers of the Maltese Charity Service collected non-perishable food from customers at 115 SPAR and 36 INTERSPAR stores. These contributions, along with items purchased using donation card funds, are used to prepare nearly 30,000 gift packages each year. The packages will be distributed nationwide just in time for Christmas.
SPAR retailers across Northern Ireland are once again using the festive period to raise funds for local charity partners. A variety of initiatives are being set up for Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end-of-life charity, which has been partnering with SPAR Northern Ireland since 2017. The ‘SPAR an Hour’ campaign will see bucket collections take place in SPAR and EUROSPAR stores nationwide for Marie Curie. Additionally, 10p from the sale of each Christmas sandwich will be donated to Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children, EUROSPAR Northern Ireland’s charity partner since 2011. For Cancer Fund for Children, customers can also pick up some magical Reindeer Dust available across 90 EUROSPAR Supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
This holiday season, SPAR Slovenia supports young firefighters through its “All Good!” campaign. Customers contributed by purchasing “Good Cookies for Good People” in SPAR and INTERSPAR stores up to December 15, with proceeds going to the Fire Brigade Association of Slovenia. Last year, cookie sales monies raised were supplemented by SPAR Slovenia in support of youth education and events like the CTIF International Firefighting Youth Olympics. These efforts help promote teamwork, responsibility, and solidarity among young volunteer firefighters.
SPAR South Africa’s ‘A Christmas like no other’ campaign underscores the brand’s commitment to going beyond basic nutritional needs in support of women and children, creating a holistic and heartfelt impact in the communities SPAR stores serve during the festive season and all year round. For five weeks, SPAR South Africa and its online division SPAR2U travelled across the country to bring joy, warmth, and festive cheer in the form of ZAR 2 million worth of groceries, essentials and Christmas treats.
SPAR Gran Canaria has been collaborating with Las Palmas Food Bank for over 25 years. This year SPAR Gran Canaria’s La Barranquera campaign invites citizens to donate necessary products with the help of volunteers. Among this year’s volunteers will be representatives of Las Palmas Down Syndrome Association who will be assisting the customers of SPAR Plaza de la Feria with their campaign donations. Thanks to the customers’ solidarity and the collaboration of volunteers, the SPAR Gran Canaria group collected tonnes of solidarity products in the 2023 campaign.
Sources: SPAR Denmark, SPAR Hungary, SPAR Northern Ireland, SPAR Slovenia, SPAR South Africa, SPAR Gran Canaria