Steve Katz, Editor06.04.13
With so much attention being paid to product launches, award ceremonies and equipment demonstrations, it’s nice to see a supplier use the event’s spotlight for a humanitarian effort that transcends the industry. Herma, a UK-based manufacturer of self-adhesive film and paper as well as label applicators, is doing just that.
Herma is headquartered in Newbury, UK, and the company has organized a cycling event that will cover 300 miles over four and a half days. The route will start from Herma headquarters in Newbury, traverse the southern English countryside, crossing the Strait of Dover into Europe's mainland, and finishing in Brussels, Belgium, at the steps of Labelexpo, coinciding with the start of the show.
Led by Herma UK’s Divisional Director Colin Philips, seven Herma salespeople have been training for months and are looking forward to not only the challenge, but meeting its new goal of raising more than £25,000 for its chosen charities: Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Care and the Namuwongo children’s charity in Africa. The initial goal of raising £15,000 has been surpassed.
“All seven of us are fully aware of the grueling task ahead of us. The support we have received has given the team the momentum to help the chosen charities and people who are less fortunate than ourselves,” Philips says.
As part of the fundraising endeavor, Herma has cycle jerseys printed with all the logos of sponsoring companies. The coveted yellow jersey for the single biggest donation has been won by Nilpeter and will be on display at its Labelexpo booth.
Along the route, the Herma cycling team plans on visiting a few customers for refreshments. The team is aiming to arrive at Labelexpo on Tuesday, September 24 at 9:45 AM.
A donation page is set up for those that would like to contribute at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=HERMACharityCycleEvent2013. The site features continuous updates on the team’s progress and additional information relating to the event.