Porsche AG offered a prize of 50 cents for every kilometre run. However, in view of people’s great willingness to run and the large number of wishes, the company decided to up the donation amount to three euros per kilometre. The aim is to enable the international Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfil the dreams of as many seriously ill children, teenagers and young adults as possible. In just a few days, the first of them will experience their own personal and special moment of happiness.
The varied wishes of young people
A James Bond adventure day, a house on stilts with a slide for the garden or a winter weekend with a friend – the young people’s wishes are as varied as the illnesses they and their families have to deal with in everyday life. What they all have in common is the will not to let the difficult circumstances of their lives get them down. With the fulfilment of their most desired wishes comes the hope that this positive experience will mobilise unimagined strength in the fight against the disease.
“We are a sporty company and social commitment is one of our core values. With the Virtual Run, we wanted to cover as many metres as possible for young people who are not doing so well in life. We succeeded, and very impressively too,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche. “Whether in Taiwan, Switzerland or Australia – in more than 35 countries, our colleagues have drawn motivation from the numerous wishes. Many have gone the famous extra mile. True sportsmanship in the spirit of social responsibility.”
In 2021, the Porsche Virtual Run will replace the traditional six-hour run at the company’s headquarters in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, which was not able to take place due to coronavirus restrictions. With Le Mans (13.626 kilometres), the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (20.83 kilometres) and the Targa Florio (72 kilometres), there was the opportunity to take on three legendary race tracks as a personal challenge. Many participants shared their joy of running on social media, in some cases with spectacular landscape shots. The Porsche team in Australia was particularly active and made use of the local lockdown for a comprehensive running programme.
