At OMNIA Global, we have been proud sponsors of Motorsport for LIFE (MfL) since 2014. MfL is a charity organisation, which with the help from Danish motor sport and other helpful and voluntary people organise car events, primarily at Danish hospitals, in order to give chronically ill children and their families a break in an otherwise challenging daily life.
By being a sponsor, we are able to assist MfL with events for the children, and thereby helping them forget their situation of illness and hospitals for just a little while. This includes being the main sponsor of a bus, which is being completely redesigned on the inside to fit the needs of chronically ill children. With the bus, MfL will be able to organise more events, and thereby, to bring more children to the racetracks.
The main motivator behind the organisation is Dan Crohn, who is also the Chairman of the Board of MfL. He is a true, fiery soul whose voluntary work and commitment to chronically ill children have our outmost respect and admiration, and therefore, we are interested in hearing what his motivation for dedicating so much of his time to MfL is.
We are very proud of being sponsors of MfL – an organisation built by voluntary people with their hearts in the right place.
HOW WILL YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE IN MFL?
Due to my role as Chairman of the Board, I am often the public face in relation to the media, sponsors and our presence on Facebook. I am the initiator and motivator, and I make all ends meet to ensure that all we do follows the DNA of MfL.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOUR REGULARLY SPEND ON MFL PER WEEK?
Depending on the time of the season, and how much time my life allows, I spend somewhere between seven and 18 hours.
WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO MFL?
The way I see it, the approach to ill children is very biased. There is an enormous focus on cancer and children with cancer. I have experienced this bias at the hospitals between the different sections, and the resources and donations that the different sections receive – depending on whether it is a children section related to cancer or a section with other kinds of illnesses.
Our motto is that all children have the right to have fun – no matter what diagnosis they have.
DO YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR MOTOR SPORT?
Very much so – I love speed under control, and I love the different approach to creating a free space and experiences for the children that we have at MfL through motor sport. Both at the racetracks and the hospitals, it is very moving to see the relations created between drivers, mechanics and the children.
A lot of people consider motor sport to be a tough and impersonal world, which could not be further from the truth.
WHAT IS IT THAT MOTOR SPORT CAN DO, WHICH IS SO REWARDING FOR THE CHILDREN?
Motor sport is a combination of many things: Noise, action, speed and excitement. But it is also contemplation, preparation and months and months of training, which make racing teams so unique. What they can is, even if they just crashed their car in a heat, to meet the children where they are and to be present in that exact moment. We have experienced teams running around to get a car ready, while a calm driver took time to be present and open to the children who were visiting. This is something very unique and moving.
And by the way, who would not enjoy getting the chance to sit in a Ferrari or a DTC car (Danish Thundersport Championship)??
WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR SPENDING SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME ON MFL?
The children! To see the difference we make to them. To receive stories afterwards from parents, personnel and doctors, who all tell about the positive effect our visit at the hospital had. Not the least, to see the children, who are fighting SO hard, just for a moment forgetting their illness with laughter, experiences and friendships.
WHY IS IT MFL, AND NOT ANY OTHER CHARITY ORGANSIATION, WHICH HAVE WON YOU OVER?
That is because MfL is down to earth and driven by the hearts and souls of the voluntary people, who are the backbone of this organisation. We are proud to do things our way without considering political attitudes or what other people believe is right or wrong.
DO YOU HAVE A FUTURE WISH FOR MFL?
Our nearest wish is to have our bus ready for the new season – a wish made possible with the big help of Omnia Foundation. The bus will play a central part in our future activities.
We do not have a final goal for MfL, but we want to be present were there is a need for us, and where it makes sense.
The ultimate wish is that we will not be needed, but unfortunately, that is not very realistic.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE NEXT STEP FOR MFL?
Previously, we have had some openings where we tried starting up something in Sweden and Germany, and we would definitely find it exciting to have other countries become part of MfL. The need is there, so why not?
DO YOU DREAM OF HAVING MFL AS YOUR FULL-TIME JOB?
Both yes and no. It has always been very important to us not to be commercial. We are driven by the love for the children and the experiences that we create. But of course, who would not want to make a living out of what they love doing the most, and the whole concept of charity and humanity is something that is very important to me. To be able to call your hobby your job must give you tremendous joy and pleasure. At the Board, we have often talked about how rewarding it would feel to have MfL as our full-time job. Who knows what the future will bring?
Follow Motorsport for LIFE on Facebook for more information and updates on events.
You can also read more about Omnia Foundation and our charity work on omniafoundation.ch