Schalke Helps: Former players Olaf Thon and Benedikt Höwedes Surprise Primary School

Schalke Helps: Former players Olaf Thon and Benedikt Höwedes Surprise Primary School

As part of the international match on Tuesday (20.6.) at the VELTINS Arena, the DFB selection will be guests at Schalke. In order to get involved socially off the pitch in the venue of the match against Colombia, the foundation of the national team together with the royal blue club foundation Schalke hilft (helps)! visited the Friedrich-Grillo primary school in Gelsenkirchen on Monday (19 June). Two former Schalke professionals provided for a lively morning.

With a specially rehearsed dance, the pupils of the Friedrich Grillo Primary School enthusiastically welcomed their guests. In addition to Sebastian Buntkirchen, Director of Fans & Sustainability at Königsblau and Managing Director of Schalke hilft! (Kinder-)Tafel (Children’s Table) Gelsenkirchen, were delighted to also receive a generous donation from the national team’s foundation for the “Pausenbrot” (Lunch) initiative.

Visit by World Cup champions Höwedes and Thon

“The national team’s foundation approached Schalke hilft! in the course of the international match to support a social project with Friedrich Grillo Primary School in Gelsenkirchen. I am very pleased that we were able to combine our social commitment for the Pausenbrot initiative of the Kindertafel, which also supplies the Friedrich Grillo Primary School.”

Sebastian Buntkirchen, Director Fans and Club Affairs; Managing Director, reports on the cooperation with the foundation, which was established in 2020

Two other guests made the children’s eyes light up when they entered the school grounds. Former Schalke professionals Olaf Thon and Benedikt Höwedes did not come empty-handed and had a Schalke hilft! buddy box filled with school supplies as well as a healthy breakfast in their luggage to fortify them after playing football together in the playground. Above all, the personal ball duels with Benedikt Höwedes, (who had only been elected by the club members to the ranks of Schalke’s honorary captains on Saturday (17.6.) at the regular general meeting of FC Schalke 04), was the highlight of the morning for the pupils. The football world champions represented not only Königsblau but also the national team’s foundation.

Lunch initiative

The Pausenbrot initiative was launched in 2006 by the Kindertafel Gelsenkirchen. In order to provide disadvantaged pupils with a healthy lunch, the volunteer team of the Kindertafel now prepares more than 600 meals every day and supplies a total of eleven primary and special schools throughout the city.