Fortis holds International Challenge and supports SOS Children's
Villages
Employee involvement in aid of orphans
On Saturday 2 June 2007, Jos Clijsters, a member of the Fortis
Executive Committee, presented a cheque for ¤270,970.77 to SOS
Children's Villages, the international charity for orphans and
abandoned children. The presentation took place at the Fortis
Challenge - a special weekend for Fortis employees from all over the
world.
Fortis staff from 20 different countries met in Austria's Mayrhofen
to participate in the Fortis Challenge, comprising a range of outdoor
sports and tests of strategic skills and intelligence. In addition to
boosting employee involvement and company pride, the underlying aim
of the Challenge was to position Fortis as a single, international
company to its workforce.
At the same time, Fortis was looking to give greater visibility to
its corporate social responsibility profile. Jos Clijsters comments:
"We've asked the people who signed up for the Challenge to raise
money for SOS Children's Villages. We had massive numbers of people
keen to partcipate: 160 teams competed in the qualifiers, with 75
actually making it to the Challenge in Austria. We were thrilled by
the sheer drive and enthousiasm our colleagues displayed in raising
money for the charity."
"On behalf of children and families, we applaud this initiative by
Fortis. What makes this international team-building event so special
is that you are reaching out your hand to the children of SOS
Children's Village Hemeiusi," said Richard Pichler, Secretary General
of SOS Children's Villages. "You will have an impact not only this
year, but for the next 10-15 years, when today's children walk out of
the children's village having experienced a childhood, a mother and
an education to build their futures on." The money raised by the
Fortis Challenge will be spent on building the Hemeiusi Children's
Village in Romania.
The Fortis Challenge team that raised the most for SOS Children's
Villages will travel to Romania later this year to report on the work
done at Heimeiusi. The money will be put towards building a Fortis
family home and activity centre and will also help finance an
educational programme.
About SOS Children's Villages:
SOS-Kinderdorpen is part of SOS Children's Villages International, a
non-governmental private organisation providing care for orphaned,
abandoned and destitute children all over the world, regardless of
race, religion or ethnic origin. For nearly 60 years, SOS Children's
Villages has provided family-based care in which orphans grow up with
their SOS mother and brothers and sisters. The schools, medical and
social centres run by SOS Children's Villages directly contribute to
the quality of life of the local community. The organisation operates
over 450 villages and provides daily care to over 60,000 children.
For more information about the organisation go to
www.sos-childrensvillages.org
About Fortis:
Fortis is an international financial services provider engaged in
banking and insurance. We offer our personal, business and
institutional customers a comprehensive package of products and
services through our own channels, in collaboration with
intermediaries and through other distribution partners. With a market
capitalisation of EUR 40.3 billion (31/05/2007), Fortis ranks among
the twenty largest financial institutions in Europe. Our sound
solvency position, our presence in 50 countries and our dedicated,
professional workforce of 60,000 enable us to combine global strength
with local flexibility and provide our clients with optimum support.
More information is available at www.fortis.com
Press offices:
SOS Children's Amsterdam: +31 (0)20 info@soskinderdorpen.nl
Villages 512 16 76
Fortis Brussels: +32 Utrecht: +31 (0)30 226 32 19 pressroom@fortis.com
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