‚Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior‘ — Shannon L. Alder
Gratitude for a fulfilled life without major strokes of fate led Jörn Schulz, a German teacher for Sports and Spanish, to do something good in return to the world. In 2017 he decided to start a fundraising campaign for a newly built children’s clinic in his place of residence in Essen, as there was an urgent lack of funds for the equipment. The small patients should find an environment that is as child-friendly and family-friendly as possible, which, despite the stay in the clinic, allows them what corresponds to their nature: being a happy child. As a father of two, he also wanted to give these sick children hope and joy of life during their stay there and beyond. Together with his Spanish friend and stand-up paddle mentor Ruben Salvatore Morte, who trained him, he decided to paddle 140km in 24 hours on a Stand-Up Paddle fundraising money for each kilometer he achieved. He not only did achieve his goal and could collect over 13,000 Euros but also connected with many more people around the globe in order to do something bigger. This first fundraising campaign was followed by many more, the founding of the association, and finally over 170,000 euros in donations, which are used in a wide variety of charitable campaigns such as equipment for the clinic, exercise therapies, cultural events, and workshops for children in need. This goes by the saying ‚In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child‘ (L. Frank Baum) and Jörn’s story will hopefully inspire all of us…
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