At the heart of things instead of just standing by – Einhell donates for charitable causes at LICHT INS DUNKEL
LICHT INS DUNKEL, one of Austria’s biggest charitable associations, has been supporting people with disabilities as well as families and children in need for more than 50 years. Einhell Germany AG played a key part in hosting the live event again this year, enabling it to help shape what is a unique fundraising campaign.
Charity & entertainment
That the themes of inclusion and entertainment fit very well together has been amply demonstrated by the 24-hour cycle challenges for good causes that have been held in the last few years. The underlying concept was brought into life four years ago by Pius Strobl, Head of ORF Corporate Social Responsibility, and Julian Bohry, Director Marketing at Einhell Germany AG.
Based on the success of previous campaigns, the focus this year was not only on the sporting component, but also on the entertainment value of collecting numerous donations. The idea was to hold a family day for young and old, large and small, in Austria’s most popular shopping and entertainment center, PlusCity in Pasching, near Linz (OÖ). DIY and garden tool manufacturer Einhell and specialty retail chain Zgonc, the “official hosts” and co-initiators of the event, were particularly keen to pull in as much in donations as they possibly could.
Pius Strobl on the cooperation with Einhell: “It’s absolutely fantastic to have a partner such as Einhell by our side. Even in advance we were holding intensive discussions to see how we could get the best possible outcome for LICHT INS DUNKEL. Einhell’s great willingness to involve partners such as FC Bayern Munich and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team was a complete success, and shows that we can achieve a lot together.”
The LICHT INS DUNKEL Family Day
At the first “Radio OÖ Family Day for LICHT INS DUNKEL”, held Saturday November 18th, 2023, PlusCity was transformed into a giant entertainment zone, with more than 60,000 people coming through the doors. Visitors were offered a wide-ranging program of entertainment under the motto “Donate and help”. At the heart of things instead of just standing by were the main donors for the evening show, Einhell and Zgonc, who topped up the donations bucket with fantastic prizes. A wheel of fortune was spun to allocate lots of prizes, including Einhell products to a total value of more than 50,000 euros.
A day all about compassion
The centerpiece of the ORF LICHT INS DUNKEL day of action was a spectacular main evening show, in which people with and without disabilities from the world of sport, media and society formed inclusive teams to compete in duels and disciplines for the good cause. The aim of the individual teams was to score points in order to achieve the highest possible amount in donations for LICHT INS DUNKEL. Stars such as Thomas Morgenstern and Alexander Eder were among those who got involved.
The highlight of the evening was when Andreas Kroiss, CEO of Einhell Germany AG, Josef Huscava, Deputy Managing Director of ZGONC Handel GmbH, and Ernst Kirchmayr, Owner and Managing Director of PlusCity, handed over donations to the tune of over 500,000 euros. To increase this total still further, Andreas Kroiss presented not only a video message from Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, but also an original racing suit worn by Lewis Hamilton and kits from players of soccer team FC Bayern Munich. These will be auctioned on the aurena.at auction platform until December 16th, with all proceeds going to LICHT INS DUNKEL.
“I am deeply moved by the commitment and dedication of everyone involved. We have created a brilliant framework for collecting as many donations for this good cause as possible. Together we have made the ORF LICHT INS DUNKEL day of action a very special experience,” said Andreas Kroiss.
The unique entertainment show was supported by national and international music acts, including Florian Silbereisen, Thomas Anders and DJ Ötzi.
About Einhell Germany AG
Einhell is a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art tools and equipment for the house and garden. From its headquarters in Landau/Isar (Bavaria), the internationally successful company has continuously expanded its innovative rechargeable battery platform Power X-Change and is now the market leader in the area of cordless tools and garden equipment. For many years Einhell has set new standards in terms of endurance, performance, and safety. Einhell customers appreciate the freedom of cordless operation for all their DIY projects, as well as the excellent value for money that Einhell products represent and the first-class customer service offered by the company.