Chelsea star Kai Havertz donated € 200,000 to start a German Red Cross flood crisis fund after being stunned by the scale of the tragedy.
The regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate were badly affected in July, with more than 180 deaths recorded and shocking levels of structural damage caused.
Today, German international Havertz, from Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia, expressed his sadness and concern over his homeland’s vulnerability to such devastating events.
Havertz will also auction special edition Nike football boots to boost financial support for relief efforts, he said, with 100 pairs produced. He also urges others to donate cash to the fund.
The 22-year-old told Bild he had spoken to the German Red Cross about what could be done, saying: “It is important for me to show my support to people: I grew up in the area .
“The pictures of the flood were just terrible to watch. The disaster was only a few weeks ago, but something has already disappeared from the consciousness of many people, you don’t really know how the people affected are. wear there.
“That’s why it was important for me to help people. Even if the water may have disappeared: there are still many without electricity, without a roof, without clothes. People just lost everything. Friends of friends are touched, the whole thing is very close, tangible. “
Extreme rainfall led to flooding which also affected other central European countries, with Belgium among the hardest hit.
Havertz, who scored the winning goal in last season’s Champions League final against Manchester City, said it was easy to allow such shocking events to be passed in the public eye as the news cycle move on to the next major story. But his point of view is that with the floods everything must be done to prevent this from happening while many continue to suffer.
Ahead of his team’s game at Arsenal on Sunday, Havertz hopes his rallying call for the German flooding cause will be heard.
The former Bayer Leverkusen striker added: “When natural disasters happen you notice it and pay attention for a moment, but maybe you lose sight of it again.
“The natural disaster on my doorstep changed my thinking. It wasn’t a hurricane in Florida, it happened here in the middle of Germany.”
