Hamburg, 10 May 2004. On 8 March, it was "Cast off!" in the port of Hamburg for the "United Buddy Bears". The famous Berlin bears, which stand for international understanding and tolerance, are to be auctioned for the benefit of UNICEF and other childrens' aid organizations. They set out on their long journey to Hong Kong – with the active support of Hamburg Süd and international film star Jackie Chan.
Hamburg Süd, a member of the well-known German Oetker Group, opened its new Regional Office in Hong Kong in November, 2003. The shipping line is sponsoring the shipment of the 124 Buddy Bears from the Hanseatic city to the Asian metropolis. At the invitation of international action film star Jackie Chan and Hong Kong's government chief, Tung Chee-hwa, the colourful bears are making a guest appearance in local Victoria Park from 16 May to 27 June.
The first meeting between the "United Buddy Bears" and Jackie Chan took place last year when the action hero was making the film "Round the World in 80 Days" in Berlin. Chan saw the two-metre tall; fibreglass-reinforced plastic statues in the city centre and was taken with them on the spot. He immediately contacted Buddy Bear initiators Dr. Klaus Herlitz and Eva Herlitz, who then persuaded him to become patron of the exhibition in Hong Kong.
Like Jackie Chan, Alexandra Oetker, wife of Dr. August Oetker, discovered a passion for the colourful bears, designing a Buddy Bear herself on the theme "Respect for all life". "I am delighted that Hamburg Süd is supporting the cross-cultural message of the 'United Buddy Bears' with its sponsorship," says Alexandra Oetker, who has, for many years, been campaigning for wildlife protection in general, and for bears in particular, as a member of the foundation board of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Deutschland, and as patron of the Animals Asia Foundation. "The Buddy Bears stand for international understanding, tolerance and respect in a unique way."
To bring the loveable symbols of these values closer to the people of Asia, Hamburg Süd packed the bears, which together weigh approximately 55 tons (including the bases), in six 40-foot containers and one 20-foot container. They were seen off on their journey to Hong Kong with a press event in the port of Hamburg. Hamburg Süd was currently taking care of all the necessary customs formalities in Hong Kong and is trucking the bears to the exhibition site. Then their well-being is in the hands of Jackie Chan, who will arrange for the bear caravan to move on to the People's Square in Shanghai when the Hong Kong exhibition ends.