Fernando Carro and Stefan Kießling at the Day of Volunteering in the BayArena

Around 200 guests accepted the invitation from over 500 official holders of the City of Leverkusen volunteer card. In his welcome address, Fernando Carro emphasised the importance of volunteering for society and thanked all those involved in the region. Mayor Stefan Hebbel also shared his words of praise.

In a cosy atmosphere, the invited guests then discussed their activities over coffee and cake before City director Marc Adomat, who had taken on the role of moderator, invited former Bayer 04 player Stefan Kießling onto the stage for a humorous exchange. Following an extensive stadium tour through the catacombs of the BayArena, an unusual quiz provided plenty of entertainment at the end of the afternoon.

Carro: "it's an honour for us"

Carro, who himself was involved in voluntary work during his student days, was visibly impressed by the guests' commitment: "As volunteers, you all do very important work for society. That's why we at Bayer 04 are delighted to be able to host the Volunteer Day at the BayArena - it's an honour for us. Thank you very much for your great work." Club representative Stefan Kießling often attends events on volunteering, "because I think it's great what people do". He also coached his son's football team on a voluntary basis for several years and recognises the importance of volunteers for Bayer 04: "Without the volunteers, many of the processes in a professional club like this would not be possible at all. It's easy to forget that, so it's important to thank these people."

Hebbel: "commitment of Bayer 04 is extremely important"

"A great deal of voluntary work takes place in the field of sport. That's why it's great that Bayer 04 recognises this and sees itself as part of the city's society," emphasised Mayor Stefan Hebbel, adding: "As a city, we work together with Bayer 04 to promote and value voluntary work. The club's commitment is extremely important here." Frank Linde, community affairs officer at Bayer 04, is also aware of this and is impressed by the variety of volunteering: "At events like these, you get to know people who are committed to so many different things - whether they are involved in the city, work with children or are active in palliative care." Linde declared: "Without them and volunteering, many of the wheels in our society would grind to a halt."

Intensive Bayer 04 commitment to volunteering

Bayer 04 and the City of Leverkusen work hand in hand to promote voluntary work, and not just by organising this day. The club supports the Sports Youth Volunteer Award of the City of Leverkusen, which will soon be awarded for the second time. In addition, the Black and Reds award the Bayer 04 Leverkusen-Sportförderung gGmbH Volunteer Award with prize money of €15,000 to clubs from the Middle Rhine (FVM) and Lower Rhine (FVN) Football Associations. The two prize-winning clubs will be announced at the home match against FC Köln on 13 December, which will be dedicated to the DFB campaign "Thanks to Volunteers".