Schenker employees lace up for charity
German logistics company organizes fitness challenge to benefit conservation groups.
Supply chain professionals have a well-earned reputation for running around all day while they hustle to solve problems. Now, the German logistics service provider DB Schenker has made that activity the centerpiece of its 150th anniversary celebration, which is organized around the theme “150 Years Elevating Lives.”
As part of the festivities, the company is hosting a yearlong fitness challenge in which Schenker employees and their families and friends worldwide track activities like running, walking, and cycling through a smartphone app. The company converts that sweat into charitable contributions by donating 1 cent for every kilometer logged to organizations aligned with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. As of late August, around 70 million kilometers (43.5 million miles) had been recorded.
As an anniversary gift, all registered participants will receive a pair of exclusive adidas sneakers in the brand colors of DB Schenker and emblazoned with the company logo. The limited-edition shoe, a model from adidas’ Supernova line, is mostly produced from recycled plastics, Schenker says.
As for where the money is going, in the first quarter of 2022, Schenker donated $296,000 to WeForest, an organization that supports forest conservation projects and social initiatives in Brazil and Ethiopia. Future recipients will include the Ocean Conservancy, which supports science-based solutions for healthier oceans, and atmosfair, a climate-protection nonprofit organization.