Press conference on the founding of the Viva con Agua Foundation

The drinking water initiative "Viva con Agua" was founded almost exactly 5 years ago after the then regional league team from FC St. Pauli held a training camp in Cuba. The then player Benjamin Adrion founded the initiative afterwards. A lot has happened since then and the most important success of “Viva con Agua” is certainly that a new and young target group of donors has been reached. The deposit cup collection campaigns at music festivals are a great example of how donations can be very easy and also fun. (The Video of the “Ärzte” fundraising appeal at the Hurrikane Festival 2009 you probably already know…)

Now comes the next step and there is a foundation called “Viva con Agua”. The founding members are Marcel Eger from FC St. Pauli, his mother Renate Eger (managing director of the personnel service provider eger&eger), Mark Tavassol from the band “Wir sind Helden” and Bela B.

This Viva con Agua Foundation provides, among other things, the financial basis to bring a water onto the market where at least 60% of the proceeds go to “Viva con Agua” drinking water projects.

To give the official starting signal for these two projects (foundation and spring water), a press conference with all the important people involved took place on August 12, 2010 in the central park of Hamburg.

Way to the press conference in the central park, Hamburg

From left to right: Foundation founder Marcel Eger (FC St. Pauli), Mark Tavassol (We are Heroes), Benjamin Adrion (board member Viva con Agua eV), Renate Eger (human resources service eger&eger) and Bela B. (Die Ärzte)

Michael Meeske, Managing Director of FC St. Pauli: “We will support Viva con Agua even more intensively in the future through external communication and sponsorship and will offer Viva con Agua spring water in the Millerntor Stadium in the new Bundesliga season.”

Reinhold Seidel, Managing Director of Husumer Quelle: “We have been working together for about two years now on the top water: low in sodium, suitable for infant formula with a super gentle taste in the French mineral water category.”

John Schierhorn, Managing Director of Viva con Agua Wasser GmbH: “We want to replace the PET bottle with a corn starch bottle (PLA), i.e. a compostable bio-plastic bottle, as soon as possible.”

Frank Otto, Frank Otto Media: "Once approached by Benny Adrion to support Viva con Agua in its global thinking and further development, I am now delighted and proud to be able to get involved as an investor. This gives me the opportunity to continue this unique collaboration and thus take the chance to generate profits for a good cause."

Very well attended press conference from Viva con Agua

Gabriele Wöhlke, Managing Director of Budnikowsky: "We have been selling Viva con Agua water in 2010 Budni branches since April 145 and are pleased to report that sales figures are already increasing. Viva con Agua enables us to be socially committed in the long term."

Bela B., founding member of the Viva con Agua Foundation: "I dedicated my first solo concert to Viva con Agua. But they didn't really notice that at the time. They were very surprised when I donated the proceeds from the concert to them."

Mark Tavassol, founding member of the Viva con Agua Foundation: "We have often played with the band 'Wir sind Helden' for Viva con Agua and in the future we will also let people throw cups at us."

Renate Eger, founding member of the Viva con Agua Foundation: "I have been with Viva con Agua from the beginning and witnessed its founding by my son Marcel. Through my commitment in the cultural and social sector, I now see it as my duty to support Viva con Agua and bring it to the south of Germany."

Benjamin Adrion, board member of Viva con Agua eV: “Drinking Viva con Agua spring water directly supports Viva con Agua’s drinking water projects.”

Benjamin Adrion, board member of Viva con Agua eV and the first compostable plastic bottle with Viva con Agua spring water

The new Viva con Agua spring water is available with (loud) and without (quiet) carbonation

I had the honor of being the official photographer. The special thing about my job was that, on the one hand, I was the only one who was able to take a picture of all the founding members of the foundation and, on the other hand, I was able to provide all press representatives who did not have their own photographer on site with image material. The press representatives had received a USB stick with all the important information about the event and shortly after the press conference they were able to receive labeled pictures of all participants from me for this USB stick. It was a great pleasure to be able to work on this great project.