Sweet charity: "Ice Cream that Helps" and other projects raise funds for Moravia tornado victims

Some eateries in the Czech Republic have been raising money to help the victims of the tornado that devastated part of Moravia. Not only do the venues turn over their take to support important causes, but people can also pay more than the normal price for what they consume.

One of the first places to become involved was the Dobřanská kavárna in Dobřany, a town near Plzeň in West Bohemia. The café launched a campaign called “Ice Cream that Helps,” where people could voluntarily pay more for the frozen treat. They raised money at their cafe and at a stand near a sports field.

The café raised CZK 27,000 and rounded that up to CZK 35,000, which it sent to the Via Foundation (Nadace Via), a charity active in helping people affected by the tornadoes that hit the Břeclav and Hodonín area in South Moravia. One patron reportedly paid CZK 1,000 for a scoop of ice cream that normally costs CZK 25.

In Prague, the six outlets of the Mamacoffee chain sent their entire Sunday sales intake to the non-governmental organization People in Need (Člověk v tísni), which is also helping people affected by the tornadoes, among other projects. Mamacoffee's chief operating officer Vojtěch Syrůček told LN that he did not have the final figures, but sales were higher than on an average Sunday.

A pub in the Plzeň area will be giving its Monday sales to help tornado victims, but the owner said he had not chosen a charity yet. He wants to make sure he picks one that uses the money effectively, rather than one that wastes it on administrative costs. The Czech Red Cross (Český červený kříž) and Diocesan Charity Brno (Diecézní charita Brno) are the two main options he is considering.

He said many people who don’t normally go to a pub on a Monday showed up.

People can also donate to help the tornado victims via the food delivery service Košík.cz. With the click of a button, customers can add CZK 100 to their total, and that money will go toward providing basic food, hygiene items and other goods to the victims. Košík.cz is working in cooperation with the Czech Federation of Food Banks.

Food delivery service Rohlikc.cz also allows people to add from CZK 300 to CZK 3,000 to their bill with a single click. The buttons to donate in this case are a bit hidden on the bottom of the main page. In both cases. people can donate more by purchasing the donation items multiple times.

Many people who want to help victims of the tornado are not used to donating money directly, and find projects such as these helpful. They can enjoy a nice serving of ice cream, or have treat in café or pub and feel they have earned a reward for helping people at the same time. Some people are also reluctant to give money directly to charities over concerns that the money will be misdirected, as several fraudulent charities have already been uncovered.

Storms with tennis-ball sized hails and a tornado reaching over 200 km/hour damaged 1,200 houses as well as a senior home and schools on June 24, claiming six lives.

The total damage to the South Moravian towns hit by storms and a tornado is estimated at CZK 15 billion and expected to rise to CZK 20 billion. Financial experts say property insurance will likely only cover half of it.

As of the morning of June 28, people have sent over CZK 700 million to foundations that have been collecting financial to help the tornado victims.

The Diocese Charity Brno has raised CZK 189 million and Via Foundation more than 164 million so far. People in Need has raised CZK 90 million, the Red Cross CZK 57 million and the Adra Foundation CZK 26 million.

The Karel Komárek Family Foundation gave CZK 150 million. At first, aid will be provided to the employees and family members of Komárek ’s company MND, a Czech oil and gas producer that has its headquarters in Hodonín.

At the website Donio.cz, people can send money to particular families whose houses were demolished during the strong storm.

How to support tornado victims in South Moravia