Brussels Airlines event Bike For Africa raises €150,000 for charity [Photo report]

20 Belgian business leaders together with 45 Brussels Airlines employees cycled 400km from Dakar (Senegal) to Banjul (The Gambia) last week for the third edition of Bike for Africa. The group raised €150,000 to support three local and Belgian humanitarian projects and to raise awareness about the potential of the African continent in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis.

The third edition of Bike for Africa was again a great success. The deep sandy off road tracks made it a strenuous effort at times, but everyone made it to the finish line on the beach of Banjul.

45 Brussels Airlines employees participated to this third edition of Bike For Africa, together with Belgian CEO’s and top managers: Brussels Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin, Brussels Airlines CCO Lars Redeligx, Bernard Marchant (Rossel Group), Tom Vande Cruys (Lampiris), Gilles Samyn (International Duty Free), Jean-Paul Philippot (RTBF), Hans Bourlon (Studio 100), Jeroen and Wouter Dewulf (Ulvenhout), Jan Dekeyser (Thomas Cook Belgium), André Schaffers (Deloitte), Maurits Lemmens (deMENSEN), Barth Foucart (Luxaviation), Steven Polmans (Brussels Airport), Christian Van Thillo (De Persgroep), Frank Van Gelder (Adelantex), Kris Poels (Adelantex), Frank Van Gelder (AFHI ACS), Chris Burggraeve and Marnix Kuijpers. Belgian singer Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry) also participated to Bike For Africa as an ambassador and treated the group to a mini concert in Banjul. 

Brussels Airlines chose West Africa as the location for Bike For Africa this year, to once again shed light on the Africa is not Ebola initiative, launched by the airline to help rebuild Africa’s reputation after the Ebola epidemic, which caused great economic harm to the continent. The humanitarian project in Senegal that will benefit from the Bike For Africa funds are Murielle Africa, a maternity founded by the Belgian Murielle Jonckheere. In The Gambia, the funds go to the maternity of the Horizons Clinic. With the money they have installed solar panels. The third beneficiary are the Junior Bears on Wheels, a Belgian basketball team for disabled children. With their funds they will buy new wheelchairs and a truck to transport them.

Bike for Africa is organized within the context of b.foundation for Africa, the Corporate Social Responsibility program founded by Brussels Airlines in 2010. With this program the airline supports numerous NGO’s and humanitarian projects that share the same passion for Africa, including the initiatives from its own employees.

“We have a strong connection to Africa, it holds a special place in our hearts. That is why we have never discontinued our flights to the Ebola stricken countries and why we have started the Africa Is Not Ebola awareness campaign, through which we want to make the world see that this fantastic continent has so much to offer both economically as well as in terms of tourism. Bike For Africa was created as a teambuilding, to discover Africa from another point of view and to support local and Belgian projects. It was again a very successful edition, with a great group of people and we intend to organize a fourth edition in 2018”, says Bernard Gustin, Brussels Airlines CEO

 

More information:

Africa Is Not Ebola: www.africaisnotebola.com
Bike For Africa blog: www.bikeforafrica.be/blog
b.foundation for Africa: www.bfoundationforafrica.com
Facebook: www.facebook/bfoundationforafrica

© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem© Pieter Van Goethem
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Ozark Henry and Youssou N'Dour, ex-Minister of Tourism and Culture of SenegalOzark Henry and Youssou N'Dour, ex-Minister of Tourism and Culture of SenegalHans Bourlon lets local kids check out his bike Hans Bourlon lets local kids check out his bikeAndré Schaffers and Ozark Henry André Schaffers and Ozark Henry
Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry)Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry)Bernard Gustin handing over the cheque to Horizons ClinicBernard Gustin handing over the cheque to Horizons Clinic

Kim Daenen

Brussels Airlines

Maaike Andries

Brussels Airlines

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About Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is the home carrier of Belgium and one of the four network airlines of the Lufthansa Group. It connects the European capital from Brussels Airport with over 90 destinations, 18 of which are in Sub Saharan Africa. The company employs more than 3,500 people and operates 44 aircraft.

Brussels Airlines aims to emit 50% less CO2 by 2030 compared to 2019 and plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. The airline is participating in the Stargate Project led by Brussels Airport and is therefore part of the testing ground for sustainable aviation at its home base. In addition, the airline signed the Circular Economy agreement of the Antwerp Management School in 2021. The airline was the first to transport Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the CEPS-pipeline connecting Brussels Airport early 2023. By end 2024, Brussels Airlines will have welcomed five state-of-the-art Airbus A320neo allowing the airline to significantly lower its CO2- and noise-emissions on its medium-haul network.

As an ambassador of its country, Brussels Airlines brings the world to Belgium and the best of Belgium to the world, among others through collaborations with Belgian Star Chefs, Belgian culinary products and the Belgian Icons, specially painted aircraft that honour a Belgian iconic person, team or event to promote Belgian culture worldwide.

More information on brusselsairlines.com 


About Star Alliance

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 17,500 daily flights to over 1,150 airports in almost 190 countries.

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