BCD Travel employees around the world came together with one goal in mind ‒ freedom. Nearly 100 colleagues, including CEO Stephan Baars, laced up their running shoes for the TUI Palma Marathon in Mallorca on October 19, raising awareness and funds for A21, a global nonprofit working to end modern slavery.
The effort, “BCD Runs for Freedom,”was a companywide initiative that combined endurance, teamwork and purpose. Months of training and countless miles led to an inspiring milestone: more than US$150,000 raised to support A21’s mission.
This was made possible thanks to the generosity of corporate supporters including Lufthansa Group, British Airways/Iberia, Oversee, Amadeus, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, American Airlines, WNS Global Services, MariApps, Sabre, Turkish Airlines, and UBS. Additional contributions from the John & Marine van Vlissingen Foundation, and encouragement from colleagues, friends and family helped push the total even higher.
“Modern slavery affects over 50 million people worldwide, including 12 million children,” said Stephan Baars, CEO, BCD Travel. “At BCD, we believe in using our influence to drive real change. Running this marathon was more than a personal challenge – it was a statement of solidarity and hope. I’m deeply grateful to our partners and colleagues who made this possible.”
The TUI Palma Marathon, organized annually by tourism company TUI, attracts thousands of runners from across the globe. This year, BCD’s participants competed in the full marathon, half marathon and 10K events – all united by a shared purpose to fight human trafficking.
“I’m incredibly proud to be part of BCD’s largest fundraising campaign to date,” said Lutz Nauert, senior vice president, Global Client Team at BCD.
“This achievement was only possible thanks to the dedication of our runners and the many colleagues behind the scenes who gave their time and helped build broader awareness around A21’s mission. I’m already excited to share that preparations for the next run are underway.”
“We’re incredibly thankful for BCD’s unwavering commitment,” said Nick Caine, CEO at A21. “Their efforts not only raise vital funds but also amplify our message: that together, we can end human trafficking.”
You can still join BCD’s fundraising efforts to donate to A21’s fight against human trafficking.
