OREANDA-NEWS. January 22, 2016. AIDA Cruises is supporting the children’s aid organization “SOS-Kinderdorf e.V.” with a donation of 100,000 euros. This sum was raised by the New Year’s Raffle that is traditionally held on board the ships of the AIDA fleet on December 31. This year the donation will again benefit the SOS Children’s Village in Iloilo in the Philippines and SOS projects in Germany. AIDA Cruises gave away a total of 20 cruises and numerous high quality non-cash prizes to the raffle winners.

Apart from Germany – where AIDA Cruises has its headquarters and the majority of AIDA guests are at home – the cruise company also has particularly close ties with the Philippines. Around one third of the AIDA crew comes from that country. Since 2014, after typhoon Haiyan had devastated the Philippines, AIDA Cruises has been lending its support for the construction and fit-out of the SOS Youth Center and SOS Social Center in Iloilo. This facility provides children and adolescents living in precarious conditions with access to schooling and subsequent vocational training.

In Germany too, SOS-Kinderdorf e.V. provides disadvantaged, orphaned or abandoned children and adolescents with a loving home. The children’s aid organization is furthermore a port of call for unaccompanied minors who are refugees in Germany, and it supports children and families who have fled here from war in their own countries.

“We are delighted with our guests’ unfailing willingness to join AIDA in taking responsibility for the weakest in our society, year in year out. We would like our support to give new hope to children who have not been lucky enough to grow up unburdened, and smooth their path to a better future,” says Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chief Sustainability Officer with AIDA Cruises.

Supporting charitable projects is an important part of the AIDA corporate culture and a matter close to the company’s heart. As a long-standing partner, AIDA promotes numerous social and cultural institutions and maritime organizations. It is also a sports sponsor and since 2002 has been the main sponsor of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of Germany’s biggest festivals of classical music.

More information about AIDA Cruise’s environmental and social activities is available at www.aida.de/aidacares.