Mercedes-Benz Launches 'Give and Dream' Scholarship Program to Nurture Promising Sports Talents

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee announced on the 20th that it has established the ‘Mercedes-Benz Give & Dream’ scholarship program in collaboration with the social welfare corporation Children and Future Foundation to support vulnerable children and youth in Korea, helping promising sports talents grow into professional athletes.

‘Give & Dream’ is part of the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee’s initiative to promote a culture of giving through sports, called ‘Mercedes-Benz Give.’ The scholarship program is funded by donations raised through previous charity events such as the ‘Give & Bike’ cycling event and the ‘Give & Golf’ golf tournament, and it supports the development of promising domestic sports talents.

This year, through ‘Give & Dream,’ the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee will distribute approximately 150 million KRW from the funds raised during the 2019 ‘Mercedes-Benz Give’ campaign as scholarships to a total of 50 students. The scholarships will be provided for one year to cover sports-related expenses such as competition entry fees, training costs, sports equipment purchases, and injury treatment fees.

Additionally, the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee plans to conduct an annual ‘Eligibility Maintenance Review’ for the selected scholarship recipients, based on income criteria, career determination, and scholarship utilization, to continue support until the students graduate from high school.

The ‘Give & Dream’ scholarships are offered to promising sports talents from elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide who come from basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty groups, or other low-income families (with median income at or below 120%). Fair selection was conducted by the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee, Children and Future Foundation, and sports advisory committee members including Professor Eungjun Kim from the Department of Physical Education at Korea National Sport University. Selected athletes represent various sports fields such as soccer, taekwondo, athletics, judo, hockey, skiing, figure skating, and golf.

Dimitris Silakis, Chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee, stated, “It is very meaningful to carry out this scholarship program funded by donations raised through the ‘Mercedes-Benz Give’ events, which involve not only Mercedes-Benz customers but also the general public.” He added, “Through the Give & Dream scholarships, we will continue to support promising athletes who will lead the future of Korean sports, helping them keep their dreams and hopes alive and focus on their training. We also plan to steadily increase the number of scholarship recipients.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.