Clarksons’ latest fundraising day has collected funds for cancer charities after the loss of two brokers in the past year.
The London-listed shipbroker said staff gathered in 28 teams at 13 global offices in “The Big Row for Dom and Remco”.
British broker Dominic Low, born in October 1975, and Dutch divisional director Remco Hemminga, 54, both died within the past 12 months.
With the help of the Clarkson Foundation, an “outstanding” £85,206 ($103,500) will be donated to two organisations “close to our hearts”, the company said: Hospice in the Weald and Bowel Cancer UK.
More than 250 workers took part in the rowing challenge.
There were a number of ways that staff were able to take part and contribute, from taking to a rowing machine, organising and scorekeeping, to cheering on teammates locally and virtually.
Individual teams were encouraged to fundraise through their own JustGiving pages and were provided with the incentive of earning extra points for their teams. Live video streams between the global offices and virtual rower trackers ensured everyone was involved in the fun and supported their colleagues, wherever they were.
The challenge was made up of three gruelling rounds.
Round 1: Teams of up to 10 rowed as far as they could in a two-hour race.
Round 2: Five members from each team went head to head in a 5x1 km relay race.
Round 3: One member of each team completed a 500-metre sprint.
And the winner is…
Speeds and distances contributed to a fiercely close leaderboard, but “Rowing Thunder” from the Singapore office were crowned the winners, closely followed by the Oslo office and the sale-and-purchase team from London.
“The volume raised by each team demonstrates the great sense of generosity and compassion shared by our staff,” the brokerage said.
Event organiser Lily Bagshaw added: “We want to thank everyone for the incredible day we had. The event is a great example of how the values we share across our global businesses bring everyone together, meaning we can go even further to support the Clarkson Foundation and their amazing causes and projects.”
Chief financial officer Jeff Woyda, chair of the Clarkson Foundation, said: “On behalf of the board of trustees, I would like to thank everyone who participated and supported ‘The Big Row for Dom and Remco’.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Clarksons staff who, year on year, continue to go the extra mile. I was humbled to share with staff the impact that the Foundation has had in the past year on so many people’s lives.”
