Every year for the past 20 years, Team Rynkeby has been cycling to Paris to raise money for children with cancer and their families. The charity cycle team was set up in 2002 by eleven keen amateur cyclists from Denmark. Over 60 local teams with a total of more than 2,400 cyclists across Europe are now all part of Team Rynkeby – and one of those teams is the newly founded Team RheinRuhr, to which hotel manager Katja Schnabel belongs. Together with 35 teammates, she is cycling 1,000 kilometres to Paris in one week in mid-July. Hotel Indigo Düsseldorf is sponsoring the Rynkeby team, hosting team members and providing a venue for team meetings. The cyclists' jerseys also feature the hotel logo.
"The project immediately appealed to me. I love cycling and think it's great to be able to support a good cause while also keeping fit. We have been training together since September in preparation for mastering the 1,000-kilometre trip as a team. The team spirit is amazing. Of course, I had to start by learning to cycle as part of a group – and that meant moving out of my comfort zone. I am really pleased that we at Hotel Indigo have been able to actively support the charity project", says Katja Schnabel, general manager of Hotel Indigo Düsseldorf.
The charity cycle team is sponsored for every kilometre they ride, and the money raised is donated to the Deutsche Kinderkrebsstiftung children's cancer charity. The entire Team Rynkeby has raised a total of 75 million euros over the past 20 years. More cyclists are joining the team for the coming season and the hunt for supporters to help is on. This year's Tour de Paris starts on 10 July in Düsseldorf. City mayor Dr Stefan Keller will be just one of those attending the official start.