AIDA Cruises continued its long-term commitment to projects run by SOS Children’s Villages and donated a total of 102,450 euros to the children’s charity in 2017. The SOS Children’s Village of Iloilo on the Philippines and Los Mina in the Dominican Republic benefited from these funds once again. Since 2005, AIDA Cruises has donated more than a million euros to various projects run by SOS Children’s Villages in Germany, Africa and Asia, and more recently in the Caribbean. More information on the charity work of SOS Kinderdorf e.V. supported by AIDA Cruises at Iloilo on the Philippines is available from this Video.
More information is available at www.sos-kinderdorf.de
In the spring of 2017, the Costa Group, to which AIDA Cruises belongs, presented joint plans for practical development assistance in collaboration with Mercy Ships and made an initial donation of 100,000 euros. The international NGO has taken it upon itself to improve access to primary health care for developing countries. It operates the largest non-military hospital ship in the world, the Africa Mercy, which is crewed by more than 400 volunteer helpers from 40 different countries.
In July 2017, Tomislav Zubovic, a ship engineer, became the first volunteer from AIDA to assist the Africa Mercy – a hospital ship for West Africa.
AIDA Cruises 2016 was also active in promoting sporting activities. We not only support athletes from TEAM HAMBURG 2016 and the Stiftung Leistungssport Hamburg (athletic institute), but also the Rostock Segelverein Citybootshafen e.V. (sailing club) for organizing the Rostock senator regatta as well as other sports clubs in the region. Sport activities by AIDA staff teams are also supported. These activities include amongst others beach volleyball, city cycling and dragon boat races.
Hansa-Sail 2016 was the occasion for AIDA Cruises to sponsor the ‘Kruzenshtern’, a Russian traditional sailing vessel for the third consecutive time.
Cultural diversity is a significant component of the AIDA Cruises corporate culture as the company employee staff from over 40 nations. Open-mindedness, respect and teamwork between people with diverse nationalities is anchored firmly in the company. This is why AIDA also supported the democracy initiative ‘WIR. Erfolg braucht Vielfalt’ (‘US. Success needs diversity’) run by the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania by donating 5,000 euros in 2016. The refugee charity ‘Rostock hilft’ (Rostock is helping) also benefited from our support in 2016.
AIDA is also a promoter of cultural events. AIDA Cruises has been the main sponsor of the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania festival for more than 14 years, which is the most important classic festival in Germany. In 2015, we extended our cooperation by a further three years. AIDA Cruises promotes young musical talent by sponsoring the Teens concert of the Rostock city theatre during the 2015/2016 season. In 2016 ‘Sustainable reading days’ performed by the club ‘Kultur für Alle e.V’ (culture for everyone) were also supported.
In 2016 AIDA assumed the sponsorship of students within the GAME project of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for ocean research in Kiel. The international team researches subjects on ocean protection and climate change.
We are also a long-term partner for diverse social and cultural establishments and initiatives in the region. These include amongst others Hanse-Tour Sonnenschein e.V., Deutsche Seemannsmission (German seaman’s mission), DRV Hilfe ohne Grenzen e.V. (German travel association - assistance), Rostock University, children’s daycare centers ‘Kleine Strolche’ and ‘Auf der Tenne’, Rostocker Tierschutzverein e.V. (animal care) or the Rostock zoo.
An overview of these establishments supported in 2016 are available from our latest list of donations. Most of the partnerships have already been in existence for many years.
