Bad suspicion

Sports clubs have been “robbed” of their collection coupons

ATSV Rüstorf wanted to exchange the raffle tickets for balls and goal nets for young footballers

(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

For weeks, clubs collected coupons that they wanted to exchange for rewards for youth work such as balls or goal nets. But when volunteers went to collect the collection boxes, they were in for a rude awakening: they and their contents were nowhere to be found. "Where is the idea of fairness?"

"We teach the children how to behave correctly in a competition, and then something like this happens!" Manfred Schauberger, chairman of the ASKÖ Schiverein Linz, is audibly angry. The reason: young athletes from his club had taken part in the Billa campaign "I live for my club". Since April 11, customers have been able to buy a raffle ticket for every 15 euros they spend, which they can donate to their favorite club. Registered clubs can then exchange the collected raffle tickets for prizes.

Families motivated to shop
"The children made boxes and put them up in the stores. Whole families were motivated to shop there and put the raffle tickets they received in the boxes. When we went to collect the full boxes on the last day, we noticed that two had been stolen."

Two boxes were missing
This is not an isolated incident, as Julia Busch, junior coach at the BBC Steyr basketball club, confirms: "I wanted to pick up the box in Gleink at the beginning of this week, but it was gone. I then immediately sent my mom to the branch in Neuzeug, but the same thing happened there too." Busch rules out the possibility that another club took the box by mistake.

Many people supported the club
"On the outside was a photo of the team eating doughnuts, the club logo and a cut-out basketball. We wanted to use the raffle tickets to buy balls, ropes and training equipment. From a sporting point of view, I can't do anything with the thefts," says the junior coach disappointedly.

 She vented her anger on Facebook and received a lot of positive feedback. "Many people got in touch and sent us raffle tickets. The campaign is great, you don't usually buy the expensive products so quickly."

Box torn open
ATSV Rüstorf also wanted to buy footballs, hurdles, poles or goal nets with the raffle tickets. But here, too, the box set up at the market in Schwanenstadt was gone when they wanted to collect it at the end of the campaign. Another box had been ripped open and the lots taken.

"That's sad, volunteers invest several hours to scan the raffle tickets, where is the idea of fairness?" says a board member. The raffle tickets can only be redeemed by registered sports clubs - around 4,000 participate throughout Austria.

Kommentar

Geht so Fair Play?

In sports clubs, volunteers are not only involved in teaching children the fun of exercise. They also train things like team spirit, and even the youngest children learn to celebrate successes together or put up with defeats. Fair play is always a top priority, as it is of the utmost importance (not only) in sport.

(Bild: Markus Wenzel, adobe.stock.com, Krone KREATIV)

Several boxes of raffle tickets that can only be exchanged for prizes by registered sports clubs have now gone missing. There is a suspicion that the concept of fairness is not equally important everywhere . . .