RTL’s Special Programming And Donations Drive A Success
Since the donations drive began, RTL viewers have already donated €1.7 million to help families in Germany affected by the floods. The broadcaster also made a donation and continues to provide support in the form of special programming. “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” (We Help Children) foundation is using the funds for emergency aid and to rebuild kindergarten and daycare facilities.
The “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” (We Help Children) foundation and Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland are stepping up their efforts to help families in Germany affected by the floods. As well as round-the-clock coverage and numerous appeals for donations on all channels, yesterday’s “Punkt 12” breaking news show once again elicited tremendous generosity among RTL viewers. RTL also donated all proceeds from the raffles of the “RTL Summer Games” broadcast over the weekend. In addition, all the Summer Games jerseys worn by the celebrities were signed and can be purchased at auction at www.unitedcharity.de. Since the call for donations started last Thursday, the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” foundation has already raised €1.7 million.
“Thanks to this strong joint effort by Mediengruppe RTL, we have managed to very quickly provide the enormous sum of over 1.7 million euros in aid to families affected by the disastrous flooding,” says Henning Tewes, Managing Director RTL Television & Co-Managing Director TV Now. “My sincere thanks go out to every viewer for their donation, as well as to everyone else involved who worked hand in hand and showed tremendous commitment to getting everything without red tape.”
More special programming: ‘Day of Aid’ on Wednesday
Next Wednesday will also be entirely devoted to aid for those affected by the weather catastrophe. On the ‘Day of Help,’ the broadcaster will adapt its programming, from ‘Guten Morgen Deutschland’ to all news and current affairs magazine shows, to the ‘RTL Nachtjournal’, to include appeals for donations and special broadcasts, and will also be supported in this by other Mediengruppe RTL channels,” said Wolfram Kons, Executive Board member of “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” and overall head of RTL Charity. “I have spoken with many of those affected, and was very moved by every one of the conversations. With our marathon of help, we are making sure not to abandon the affected children and their families, including in the long term.”
For days now, the German Red Cross (DRK), a partner of the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” foundation has been carrying out emergency aid in the crisis areas. “Our building dryers and emergency generators have already arrived here and are being distributed where they are most needed. In this way, we are giving citizens the opportunity to return to normal living conditions in their own apartments and houses,” said Thorsten Trütgen, spokesman for the German Red Cross in Ahrweiler, in yesterday’s “Punkt 12” spotlight news program.
Rebuilding daycare centers
Besides providing emergency assistance, the funds collected will be used to finance the sustainable reconstruction of destroyed facilities for children, including the “Quellenstraße” kindergarten in Swisttal-Heimerzheim. Its idyllic location near the Swistbach stream was its undoing, and it was almost completely destroyed. To ensure that 85 children can be cared for again as quickly as possible after the kindergarten break, the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” foundation is working with local partners to quickly rebuild the facility. A similar fate has befallen the “Zauberkiste” daycare center in the copper town of Stollberg. The nearby Vichtbach River completely flooded the facility and the playground equipment in its garden. Here, too, the aim is to reopen ASAP.
For more information and all donation options, please visit: www.rtlwirhelfenkindern.de
