Schiphol enters into joint effort with UNICEF

On Thursday January 26^th 2012, Ad Rutten, Executive Vice President &COO Schiphol Group, together with Jan Bouke Wijbrandi, Managing director of UNICEF, the Netherlands, announced an intensive three year partnership. The kickoff was made during a gathering at the airport. UNICEF, the Netherlands, shall receive the proceeds from the collection boxes throughout the airport, inter alia, for a period of three years. Furthermore Schiphol shall organize events and projects which shall be donated to the UN Children’s rights organization.

Each year the proceeds from the collection boxes throughout the airport are donated to a charity which is globally oriented without religious or political ties. In recent years SOS Children’s Villages, was the beneficiary of the proceeds from the collection boxes. Ad Rutten, presented a check in the amount of € 150,000 to Pascal van Ham, manger Public Funding advisor, & communications manager, SOS Children’s Villages, Schiphol’s joint partner, the last three years. The donation comes from donations made by travellers at Schiphol airport, who gave their donation via the collection boxes in the airport.

Special events organized by employees and at the airport contributed approximately an extra € 70,000 to the donation.

“I am proud of what our employees were able to generate in donations”, says Ad Rutten.

UNICEF

UNICEF, managing director, Bouke Wijbrandi is overjoyed with the joint partnership between the Schiphol Group, and UNICEF, the Netherlands: This is a partnership between two International A-Brands, which shall prove complementary to one another. The employees of Schiphol airport, as well as the travellers at the airport will be generating funds for our global work for children. Fantastic!”

UNICEF is active in more than 150 countries and areas. The organization monitors that children’s rights are respected and abided by in each country. Via assistance programs in the areas of water, health, education, nutrition, and protection, UNICEF helps children to survive and to overcome poverty. UNICEF’s help is structural, but the organization also provides acute emergency care. UNICEF, works together with private citizens, organizations, and governments, under the slogan, “Unite for Children”.