35th BMW International Open: BMW continues commitment to educational projects with “Eagles for Education”.

+++ BMW Group to donate 1000 euros per eagle during the tournament week at München Eichenried +++ Free Lifesaver chargers available for spectators to borrow +++ Opportunity for everyone to donate via the deposit paid +++ Donations to “JOBLINGE” and “Kick ins Leben” support educational projects +++

Munich. For many years, the BMW Group has combined its commitment to golf with its dedication to equal opportunities in education. And BMW will be campaigning for educational projects once again at the 35th BMW International Open (3rd July to 7th July 2024, Golfclub München Eichenried) with the “Eagles for Education” initiative. Like last year, BMW will donate 1000 euros per eagle that golfers score over the course of the tournament in Eichenried. BMW will use the money to support the two Munich organisations “JOBLINGE” and “Kick ins Leben”; the BMW Group has been working successfully with these organisations for many years.

“The BMW Group is much more than just a car manufacturer. As a forward-thinking corporation, opportunities for children and young persons are matters particularly close to our heart. We are delighted to be able to support valuable educational projects in Munich with “Eagles for Education” once again this year – in close proximity to our head office,” said Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, HumanResources and Real Estate: “We are incredibly proud of the fact that with ‘JOBLINGE’ and ‘Kick ins Leben’ we are able to support two partners who we have been working with for many years. We wish everyone playing at the 35th BMW International Open the best of luck and successful strokes to ensure that as many eagles as possible are scored to give young people better educational opportunities.”

The “Eagles for Education” initiative made its debut at the 34th BMW International Open last year. This saw the BMW Group expand their long-standing commitment to better educational opportunities for everyone. In addition to three hole-in-ones, an impressive 59 eagles were scored in Eichenried in 2023. BMW increased the total to 99,000 euros. And at the BMW Golf Cup World Final in South Africa in March, for every hole that a player completed with two strokes under par, BMW donated 1000 euros to charity. A total of 49,000 euros was raised, which went to UNICEF.

In addition to the pro golfers, spectators at the 35th BMW International Open will also have the opportunity to do their bit for educational equality. Thanks to the collaboration with Lifesaver there will be various stations around the Golfclub München Eichenried site where, for a deposit of 20 euros, spectators can borrow mobile chargers that they can swap as many times as they like over the course of the tournament week. When returning the power banks, spectators can choose to forego being refunded the full rental fee and to donate some or all of their deposit paid. These donations will also benefit the “Eagles for Education” initiative and will support the efforts to improve the education of underprivileged children and young persons in a variety of ways through the two cooperation partners.

BMW AG’s Eberhard von Kuenheim Foundation was among the parties that founded “JOBLINGE” in 2008. The initiative sees the economy, the state and individuals working closely together to support underprivileged persons and to give them real job opportunities and sustainable integration into the job market and society. During a six-month programme, participants are helped to discover where their talents and strengths lie, acquire key qualifications and social skills, and in doing so to work towards a specific apprenticeship or job. Everyone taking part receives support from both an employee of the foundation and from volunteer mentors – including 120 BMW employees in Germany.

The “Kick ins Leben” foundation seeks to provide equal educational opportunities for all children in Munich. With this in mind, the initiative supports underprivileged children and young persons from preschool onwards and assists them on their path into vocational training or secondary school. The focus of the work is on language training, personal development, guidance in finding an apprenticeship and support with career prospects. The BMW Group and the “Kick ins Leben” foundation have been working together since 2019 to support children and young persons. A focal point of the work is in the Milbertshofen area, which is also home to the BMW Group. At the BMW Group plant in Munich, young persons have the opportunity to witness production and benefit from mentoring from BMW employees.

BMW has been combining its commitment to golf with supporting educational opportunities for a long time – and all over the world: At the BMW Championship in the USA, 50 million dollars have been raised for the “Evans Scholar Foundation” since the start of the tournament partnership with promoter Western Golf Association in 2007. This money has funded more than 3300 full college scholarships for caddies.