The Unipetrol Foundation thanks all those who helped fulfill one great human wish. The charity Graceful Ride started on September 5 with an online broadcast of the Uniriders motorcycle club, and within eight days a whopping CZK 108,000 was raised in support of the handicapped Ondra. This amount will allow Ondra, who is facing the consequences of cerebral palsy, to undergo, for the first time in three years, a medical spa stay and to carry out a wheelchair repair.
“On behalf of the Unipetrol Foundation, I would like to thank with all my heart all the great people who have watched this year’s Graceful Ride of our Uniriders bikers online and, at this difficult time, have sent a financial contribution in support of the disabled young man,” said Katarzyna Woś, Chairwoman of the Board of the Unipetrol Foundation and Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol Group, adding: “Our gratitude goes also to all members of the Uniriders Club who helped organize the event, Benzina company, which provided refreshments for participants of the Graceful Ride, and to ORLEN Ochrona, which oversaw the safety of the event."
“We thank all the people who donated money through the charity fundraiser,” Ondra’s mother said with undisguised emotion. “Thanks to their good heart, Ondra can finally go back to the spa for the therapies that have so far brought him the greatest health improvement." Since his premature birth, Ondra has had to contend with limited mobility caused by cerebral palsy. He practically has no sight; he can only perceive rough contours. Until he turned 18, Ondra went to spa for rehabilitation stays on the doctor’s recommendation, which were always of great benefit to him. However, after he reached legal age, the health insurance company refused to pay for this care.
Therefore, the Unipetrol Foundation has decided to organize a public fundraising event in conjunction with the Uniriders’ Graceful Ride to provide the necessary CZK 70,000 for Ondra’s rehabilitation stay in the spa. During the Graceful Ride itself, more than CZK 23,000 was raised, and by the end of the following week more than CZK 108,000 was credited to the account from people who are not indifferent to the fate of others. “Thanks to this, we can also provide Ondra with the wheelchair repair. We had no hope for such great generosity,” adds Ondra’s mother.
This year’s Graceful Ride of the Unipetrol’s motorcycle club was held online. Only Uniriders motorcycle club members, their family and friends rode their motorcycles. Despite the bad weather, a convoy of more than thirty bikes started off from Kralupy nad Vltavou. A live stream of the entire event, including interviews with Ondra’s mother, Katarzyna Woś and Tomáš Herink from Unipetrol, as well as a number of other interesting guests, was broadcast on Saturday, September 5, on the Unipetrol Foundation’s Facebook page, where it is still available. The recording is also available on the Unipetrol YouTube channel.
About the Unipetrol Foundation
The Unipetrol Foundation started its activity in 2017. As of now, it has distributed CZK 3.3 million through its scholarship program among 88 high school and university students in the fields of science and technology. The grant program of the Foundation has already distributed CZK 5.5 million among thirty high schools across the country to support their educational and scientific activities. Through the EDUbus project, which ignites students’ interest in chemistry using non-conventional methods in a specially adapted mobile laboratory, it has impacted 3,200 students in Litvínov, Neratovice and Most. The Wonderful Day with Chemistry show, which toured five elementary and high schools over the Czech Republic, was attended by 3,300 students in total. In the school year 2018/2019, the Foundation held nine lectures on various topics related to chemistry as part of the project Fridays with Science in cooperation with scientific experts in the field of science. For information on the mission of the Unipetrol Foundation and all its other activities, please visit
www.nadaceunipetrol.cz.
Contact:
Lucie Pražáková, Unipetrol Foundation Director
phone: +420 736 506 939