Zumtobel : Crayons, cinema vouchers and bluetooth speakers – Zumtobel Group employees fulfil the wishes of children from the Kinderdorf Vorarlberg and Pädakoop

Dornbirn, Austria - The first snow is falling, shining lights everywhere and the anticipation of Christmas Eve grows with every opened Advent calendar door: Christmas time is something magical, especially for children. Particularly this year it is important to keep this magic alive, which is why wishes from children and teens from the Kinderdorf Vorarlberg and the Pädakoop facility are being fulfilled yet again. This initiative is organised and implemented by Zumtobel Group employees for the sixth year in a row.

To welcome the Christmas spirit in the company as well, Christmas trees were set up and decorated at the Dornbirn locations. Unlike in previous years, the wish cards were not attached to the trees. Due to the current situation, many employees are working from home, which is why the children's wishes were distributed virtually. This year's wishes ranged from Nike socks, Amazon vouchers and crayons to Barbie accessories. Our employees were more than happy to grant these wishes.

This has become a beloved tradition for us, a tradition which inspires our employees. This year was especially challenging for children, which is why it is all the more important to us to enlighten their Christmas season. Even though the wish cards were distributed virtually due to the home office situation, the 141 wish cards were taken in no time. We started this initiative six years ago and every year it is overwhelming for me to see how joyfully colleagues take part in fulfilling a Christmas wish for the children and teens.

-Lisa Geser, part of the organisational team

All parcels have already been handed over to the caregivers of the Kinderdorf Vorarlberg to ensure the gifts will be under the children's Christmas tree in time for Christmas Eve.

This year, all of us and especially the children were challenged by the ongoing pandemic. That's why we perhaps need Christmas a little more than usual, which is why it's all the more valuable to create a wholesome Christmas feeling. This wonderful initiative, organised by Zumtobel employees, gives our children and teens joy and encouragement. Even when writing the wish lists, you can feel how much the familiar ritual provides them with a sense of safety and spreads wonderful Christmas magic. A heartfelt thank you to the Zumtobel employees who become Christmas angels for the Kinderdorf Vorarlberg every year and thus set a powerful sign of standing together.

-Verena Dörler and Karin Mäser, Kinderdorf Vorarlberg in Bregenz