The HelpAlliance aid organisation, founded by Lufthansa staff, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Since 1999, Lufthansa employees have voluntarily nurtured aid projects around the world under the umbrella of the HelpAlliance organisation. Their commitment enjoys financial and logistics support from the Lufthansa Group, for instance with freighter flights, ferrying relief supplies as for the victims of the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia in December 2004. Meantime, the aid organization can look back on more than 60 projects, which it has successfully implemented since its foundation. Around four million euros in donations alone have been invested in diverse aid measures. At the tenth jubilee celebrations at the Lufthansa Training & Conference Center in Seeheim, Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber commended the commitment of the HelpAlliance and its members:

“Our experiences with strong alliances have always been good. We support HelpAlliance because their members do great work and we know that the donations go directly to where they are needed most: to the poorest of the poor“, said Wolfgang Mayrhuber. “My thanks go to all Lufthansa employees whose efforts are devoted to helping the needy in this world of ours, and naturally to our passengers and all others, who support this good cause with their donations. I am proud that humanity and care are so deeply rooted in our company.”

HelpAlliance was founded by Lufthansa employees in 1999. Since then, its members have driven numerous aid projects, principally in Africa, Asia, South America and Rumania. From the outset, the Lufthansa Group has been a mainstay by providing HelpAlliance not only with cargo capacities but also with offices and, above all, staff, for the administrative tasks of the aid organizations. HelpAlliance is currently overseeing 15 projects, supported on-site by partners with years of experience in development aid. In order to ensure that the funds are received by those who need them, Lufthansa Staff assume personal responsibility for individual projects. HelpAlliance is mainly financed by donations. Under the motto “Small change – a big help“ – passengers can donate foreign currency left in their pockets or wallets after a stay abroad to a worthy cause. Additionally, the organisation receives regular contributions from around 1,200 supporting members.