The background to the excursion to North Spain is the community commitment of Real Sociedad, Bayer 04 as well as Bayer AG in aid of the Fundación Columbus.
The foundation was set up to raise funds for research into rare diseases and to make them treatable through gene therapy. The friendly at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián is specifically aimed at the battle against spastic paraplegia 50 (SPG 50). This extremely rare neuromuscular disease affects a very limited number of children and symptoms range from general developmental delay, medium to serious mental disability, changed or loss of speech, microcephaly or reduced skull size, cramps and advanced motor function impairment. Gate receipts from the match will go to the foundation.
And Bayer AG, together with their subsidiaries AskBio and Viralgen involved in treating SPG 50 as part of a study project in San Sebastian, is supporting the Columbus campaign and has been involved in planning the special match from the start. "For us as part of Bayer AG the good cause this friendly is supporting offers a very good reason to travel to the training camp and join in working together," said Fernando Carro as chairman of the board at Bayer 04. Of course, Xabi Alonso is not just enthusiastic due to the venue of San Sebastián but also due to the campaign: "Health is the most important thing for us all but primarily for our children," said the Bayer 04 head coach. "We are happy to get involved if we can help people who are not in that fortunate situation, even to a small extent."
"Score a goal against SPG 50!" is the motto for the game between Real Sociedad and Bayer 04, which also gives both clubs the opportunity to assess where they are in terms of football. "An opponent of such European class offers us the ability to see where we are up to at that phase in the preseason," said Bayer 04 sporting managing director Simon Rolfes. "The fact we can also live up to our social responsibility makes this football match a great event we can already look forward to."
The event will not only benefit the Columbus foundation but also the Asociación Guipuzcoana contra el cáncer. The organisation is committed to the battle against cancer with part of the funds raised from a friendly going to finance a holiday camp in the Basque country for children suffering from cancer.
