The „Downhillers for Haiti' charity campaign, initiated by the athletes at the FIS Alpine World Cup races in Kitzbühel and Cortina, ended with an amazing final result of €132'700. The idea to spontaneously help the earthquake victims found many supporters, who made this remarkable sum of money possible.
Together with the Hahnenkamm Race Organizers, the Kitzbühel Ski Club (K.S.C.), athletes participating in this year's 70th Hahnenkamm Races were able to collect a considerable sum of money to donate to the earthquake victims in Haiti. The 59 signed start numbers of the ski stars were auctioned on eBay for a total of 56,193.05 Euros. This entire sum can be passed on without any deductions, as eBay pledged to waive the auction fee and the sellers, 123Boerse.com, will cover the costs for the whole process. The K.S.C. will pay for any transfer charges incurred.
The Streif winner, Didier Cuche, provided another emotional climax as he spontaneously donated an additional 20,000 Euros for „Downhillers for Haiti" during the prize giving ceremony at the KitzRaceParty.
Acting on this initiative, bwin also spontaneously decided to contribute the 35'000 Euro winnings from the Charity Poker Tournament to this campaign. Famous guests played poker in the Hahnenkamm Marketing Company, WWP Weirather-Wenzel and Partners VIP marquee during the KitzRaceParty, all in aid of the cause.
Donations were completed with a further €10,000, contributed by a Hahnenkamm Associate, resulting in the significant sum of € 121.193,05. After finalizing the auction transactions, this entire sum of money will be handed over to the Red Cross.
„We are delighted that the auction aroused so much interest. It's great that the athletes joined together to serve such a good cause. We are proud that Hahnenkamm Race partners spontaneously decided to contribute toward the relief efforts", said K.S.C. President, Michael Huber.
Final tallies revealed Tuesday that the alpine athlete race bibs from the 70th Hahnenkamm men's downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria and the women's super G in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy raised over $16,000 (€ 11'516) in online auctions for the earthquake relief effort in Haiti.
The highest earner was Hahnenkamm winner Didier Cuche of Switzerland, whose signed bib was purchased for $16,209. The bib of Bode Miller (USA) earned $2,504 for Haiti while Ted Ligety's bib also did well going for $1075.
Newly named 2010 FIS World Cup super-G champion Lindsey Vonn (USA) claimed the top spot amongst women's bibs closing out at just over $4,000. Julia Mancuso who spearheaded the project for the ladies' World Cup tour, reported that half of the bibs where purchased by fans from the United States with the other half spread across Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France and Switzerland with all the proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
STAY CONNECTED
