Bacău Community Foundation is the result of a lot of work, by a lot of people. Their work consisted in raising the necessary funds to set up the organization, but also in bringing citizens closer to the idea of a community foundation. In 2012, the initiative group for Bacău Community Foundation organized “Jump for the Community”, an event similar to the Swimathon, which raised about half of the amount needed to set up the foundation. The first step was thus taken, and then the bricks needed to build the community foundation were easier to lay.
The ambitious dream – to build a stronger community – started to take shape in 2013, with the Foundation backing 13 projects, awarding 35 scholarships and implementing a community project, all worth well over 124,000 lei.
The year 2014 saw a substantial increase in the projects supported by the Foundation, the number reaching 19, while the number of scholarships went up to 67, and 2 community projects were implemented.
In 2015, the Bacău team managed to draw contributions amounting to nearly 239,000 lei, a sum that could not have been collected without activating the philanthropic power of the community. Almost 40% was collected through fundraising sporting events such as Swimathon and Half Marathon. More than 500 people participated in the three trials of the Half Marathon, while in the municipal swimming pool, 120 people swam for the 11 causes registered at the event.
Four years after its inception, “people are encouraged to move from a waiting area into an action area”, says Nick Vercruyssen, businessman and chairman of the Foundation Board. In 2016, the donations amounted to 463,000 lei, and the foundation organized its first edition of the Științescu Fund, with seven projects dedicated to the students in Bacău receiving support.
With over 600 participants in 2016, nad more than 900 in 2017, we can say that Swimathon and Half Marathon have empowered people with initiative and desire to engage in the community. “In Bacău, the Swimathon has become more than just a fundraising event. It is a community of active, involved people, who show initiative, solutions and support. We wanted to be part of this community”, says Marchiș Cătălina, one of the people who registered a cause at the Swimathon.
By 2017, the financial support provided to the community included 270 projects, grants or scholarships, and with the help of the two fundraising events, 60 cases were supported.