These Caritas trophies are ready for the World Cup

For the first time in 2019, the Caritas Wolfsteiner Werkstätten made the winners' trophies at the first ADAC 3-City Rally in Freyung. After advancing to the Central European Rally (CER) and a round of the World Rally Championship, the facility for people with physical or mental handicaps remains on board and once again made the trophies for the best teams. With their works made of wood, metal and glass, they have created unique one-of-a-kind trophies, which they will hand over to the best teams in the world on Sunday at the award ceremony on Passau's town hall square.

"These cups are unique and a living sign of inclusion," emphasises Fritz Schadeck, Board Member for Youth and Sport at ADAC Südbayern e. V., which has meanwhile expanded its cooperation with Caritas to include the whole of Bavaria. The Regional Club of Southern Bavaria is a shareholder of the Central European Rally GmbH and, together with its team, is responsible for the sporting organisation of the motorsport spectacle. "We were hoping a bit that we would also be allowed to take part in the WRC," said Andreas Manthey, deputy manager of the Wolfsteiner Werkstätten, which employs 400 disabled people. "Now this dream has come true for us and we have really put our backs into it so that we can put together something worthy of the World Cup." And so the small Bavarian Forest town has been working diligently over the last few weeks to put the finishing touches on the 18 trophies, which show the maps of the three host partner countries Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria. After work, the Wolfsteiner Werkstätten are now off to the rally fun: Almost 200 employees have accepted the organiser's invitation and will be at the Knaus Tabbert Bavarian Forest special stage in Neureichenau on Saturday.

Their trophies are handmade, unique pieces and the result of a long-standing partnership in the name of inclusion (from left): Benjamin Kast, Christian Wittensöllner (team leader carpentry), Ramona Schleinkofer, Jochen Hany (head of social services), Alexander Hüttinger, Andreas Manthey (deputy workshop manager) and Fritz Schadeck (board member for youth and sports at the Central European Rally shareholder ADAC Südbayern e.V.) (Photo: CER)

Top driver Thierry Neuville donates to Caritas

The commitment of Caritas has also inspired one of the world's best drivers: Thierry Neuville supports a charitable institution at the venue with a donation at each of his WRC rounds and this time he will present a cheque to the support centre of the Wolfsteiner Werkstätten. "The offers of Caritas are aimed at all people who are socially disadvantaged - regardless of skin colour, religion or nationality," emphasises the likeable Belgian. "At this rally, I particularly support the branch that works for people with disabilities. The great team of the Wolfsteiner Werkstätten in Freyung has created 18 wonderful trophies, they look really good," he writes on his Instagram account with over 325,000 followers, among others, and is looking forward to meeting the trophy artists from Freyung. And who knows, maybe he'll make it onto the podium on Sunday and even get to take one of the 50-centimetre-tall unique trophies home with him.