Mercedes 2008 Annual Report Download - page 117

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In the area of sports, Mercedes-Benz teamed up with the German
Soccer Federation (DFB) in 2008 to present the first-ever Soccer
Integration Award. This initiative honors projects and activities
that promote the integration of children and young people from
different cultures. Mercedes-Benz has been a “National Sponsor
of the German Sport Aid Foundation” since 2008 and an official
Olympic partner of the German Olympic Federation since 2005.
In the context of these partnerships, Mercedes-Benz provides par-
ticular support for Paralympic athletes. As the only commercial
partner in “Olympic Solidarity,” the development assistance pro-
gram of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Daimler
has for the past 12 years supported mass-participation sports for
children and young people in poor regions as well as top-level
sports in developing countries.
Support through foundations. In order to ensure that our fund-
ing is used for clearly defined long-term purposes, we have estab-
lished our own foundations in several countries. These foundations
support diverse activities ranging from research and education
to the promotion of culture, health and international understand-
ing. The motto of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, “Sport
has the power to change the world,” underscores these goals.
Daimler and luxury goods company Richemont are the founding
partners of this foundation, which has supported more than 60
socially oriented sports projects since the year 2000. The focus
is on issues such as fighting against HIV/AIDS, drug abuse,
violence and discrimination.
Voluntary and other activities for the common good. Our
employees and our neighbors, as well as our company, benefit
from a well-functioning community. This is why we cooperate
closely with local authorities and non-profit organizations in the
places where we have business locations. For example, we are
committed to the expansion of childcare centers close to our
plants and to the promotion of education and training programs.
We can count on our employees’ voluntary involvement in
numerous projects. During the annual Day of Caring at Daimler
Financial Services, the firm and its employees spent a day
working on socially oriented projects such as the renovation of
the JimPazzo children and youth center in Stuttgart. The engine
production plant in Kölleda, MDC Power GmbH, supported sev-
eral projects in its own region. Inspired by the motto “We are
the engine of Germany,” the company’s employees worked for a
day without pay. The employees’ total pay for their work on
that day amounted to approximately €60,000. This was rounded
up to €100,000 by the company’s management and donated
to social institutions and associations in the German state of
Thuringia.
At this “Day of Caring” in Mexico, Daimler employees become actively involved in their social environment and renovate a school.
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