At the end of May, heavy rain caused disastrous flooding in southern Germany. In Bavaria, more than 60,000 rescue workers were deployed to help and protect the many thousands of people in greatest need. FC Bayern pledged its support in the first days of the floods at the beginning of June and donated €1 million to the victims and those helping.
This Thursday, FC Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen was invited by the president of the Bavarian State Parliament Ilse Aigner and Minister-President Markus Söder to a large flood relief reception organised by Bavarian politicians.
Söder thanked FC Bayern in front of more than 3,000 volunteers and full-time helpers who had gathered at Schleißheim Palace: “FC Bayern always stands for the whole of Bavaria to a certain extent, at home and around the world. You simply have to recognise what this club does. That's why we're delighted that the Bayern family is sticking together. The donation is a great story, it does good and will help many people and organisations.”
Dreesen explained: “When the first flood images appeared on television and we could all see the extent of the disaster, Herbert Hainer, our president, called me and we decided to do something. We don't just have ‘Bayern’ in our club name. We feel a connection to Bavaria and Munich. Bavaria, Munich – that's our home, and it will stay that way, no matter how international football has become. The state alone cannot help with every disaster. We as a civil society, as a community in general, must also stand together and help in times of need. That's why we were happy to make our contribution.“
After consultation with the Bavarian state government, FC Bayern will donate €600,000 to the three large and important organisations that provide life-saving support in disasters: the state fire brigade association, the Bavarian Red Cross and the German Life Saving Association (DLRG). In addition, €150,000 will go to direct aid, mainly to football clubs, but also to private households and a retirement home. Because the floods do not stop at borders, FC Bayern is also donating €250,000 to the districts of Rems-Murr and Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg, which were hit particularly hard. In both cases, FC Bayern has liaised with the state government in Stuttgart to ensure that the donations go where they are most urgently needed.
