Clubs spent weeks collecting coupons that they wanted to exchange for rewards for youth work, such as balls or goal nets. But when volunteers went to collect the collection boxes, they were in for a rude awakening: they were nowhere to be found, along with their contents. “Where is the idea of fairness?”
“We teach the children how to behave correctly in competitions, and then something like this happens!” Manfred Schauberger, chairman of the ASKÖ ski club in Linz, is audibly angry. The reason: young athletes from his club took part in the Billa campaign “I live for my club”. Since April 11, customers have received a ticket for every 15 euros worth of shopping, which they can donate to their favorite club. Registered clubs can then exchange the collected tickets for prizes.Families motivated to shop”The children made boxes and put them up in the stores. Whole families were motivated to shop there and put the tickets they received in the boxes. When we went to pick up the full boxes on the last day, we noticed that two had been stolen.”Two boxes missingThis was not an isolated case, as Julia Busch, youth coach at the BBC Steyr basketball club, confirmed: “I wanted to pick up the box in Gleink at the beginning of this week, but it was gone. I then sent my mum straight to the branch in Neuzeug, but the same thing happened here too.” Busch rules out the possibility that another club took the box by mistake.Many people supported the club“On the outside there was a photo of the team eating doughnuts, the club logo and a cut-out basketball. We wanted to use the tickets to buy balls, ropes and training equipment. From a sporting perspective, I can’t do anything with the thefts,” says the youth coach disappointedly. She vented her anger on Facebook and received a lot of positive feedback. “Many people got in touch and sent us more tickets. The campaign is great, you don’t usually buy the expensive products so quickly.”Box ripped openATSV Rüstorf also wanted to use the tickets to buy footballs, hurdles, poles or goal nets. But here too, the box that had been set up at the market in Schwanenstadt was gone when they tried to collect it at the end of the campaign. Another box was ripped open and the tickets taken. “It’s sad. Volunteers invest hours to scan the tickets. Where is the idea of fairness in that?” said a board member. The tickets can only be redeemed by registered sports clubs – around 4,000 take part across Austria.Volunteers in sports clubs don’t just get involved to teach children the joy of exercise. Things like team spirit are also trained here, and even the youngest learn to celebrate successes together or to get over defeats. Fair play is always a top priority, because it is of the utmost importance (not only) in sport.Now several boxes of tickets have been stolen that can only be exchanged for prizes by registered sports clubs. There is a suspicion that the idea of fairness is not given the same importance everywhere . . .
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