The Flohwiese Pforzen was decorated in FC Bayern style with large red and white flags, and Uli Hoeneß provided bratwurst sausages for refreshments as the Fan-Treff-B16, Rot-Weiss Rosen and Allgäuer Hundling fan clubs invited Herbert Hainer to a special fundraising evening to mark the 125th anniversary of the German record champions. After the president agreed to visit and give a talk to around 250 FC Bayern fans, a total of €11,111 was raised, which was financed in the Ostallgäu region. The money will go to FC Bayern Hilfe eV, which supports people who find themselves in need through no fault of their own.
Every cent to those in need
Hainer accepted the cheque on behalf of Hilfe eV board members Karl Hopfner, Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Every cent goes directly to those in need, he explained, as FC Bayern Hilfe eV is run on a voluntary basis and without an administrative apparatus. “On behalf of the board, I would therefore like to express my sincere thanks. Every donation helps,” said the president. Anyone who would also like to get involved can find further details and the donation account HERE. Hainer proved his accuracy in goal wall shooting in front of fan club members led by chairmen Günther Blösch (Fan-Treff-B16), Armin Demmler (Rot-Weiss Rosen) and Dominik Häuserer (Allgäuer Hundling), which also contributed to the donation amount. He also took part in a panel discussion moderated by Willi Dressler (member of Allgäuer Hundling and employee of TV channel Sky) with local entrepreneurs and Markus Meindl, director of fans at FC Bayern. The topics were FC Bayern and its fans, attachment to their homeland and the local economy.
Hainer provided insights into his work as president and chairman of the supervisory board of FC Bayern (“you always have to remain curious and open to new things”), emphasised the importance of the fans (“they are the backbone”) and explained that home for him means “giving something back in order to shape it”. FC Bayern will also “always keep its roots at the forefront,” said Hainer on the sidelines of the event. “We have over 410,000 members and 330,000 fan club members worldwide, but our foundation lies in Bavaria.” He sees mistakes “always as learning opportunities, not as disasters. You just can't make them twice.” At FC Bayern, he can “live the values that have always driven me. Among other things, we have developed numerous dialogue formats with fans and members because I am always interested in what moves people.” Meindl confirmed this during the discussion: “Our president has his ear to the ground. He regularly visits fan clubs and is always ready to engage in dialogue.”
Deep social efforts
Blösch's fan club, Fan-Treff-B16, attaches great importance to social engagement. In addition to the fundraising evening, it has also organised support for the Dominik Brunner Foundation and the Paritätisches Haus für Mutter und Kind (Parity House for Mother and Child) in Munich, as well as a DKMS typing campaign. To mark the end of the successful event, Hainer was presented with a rose made of metal by local craftsmen, and a brass band played the traditional tune Immer vorwärts, FC Bayern.
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