Elmshorn/Kiel,
29 July 2025 – A
unique and heartfelt chapter in the German Handball Bundesliga has come to a
close: after 13 years, ORLEN Deutschland’s extraordinary player sponsorship
with THW Kiel icon Patrick Wiencek has concluded - culminating in over €135,000
in donations to support children battling cancer at the University Medical
Centre Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH).
Since 2012, ORLEN Deutschland has donated €100 for
every Bundesliga goal scored by Wiencek. Over the years, this initiative has
funded vital projects for the UKSH paediatric oncology department, including a
dedicated training room and a sports and exercise programme to support young
patients during their treatment.
"It is incredible
how much we have achieved together over the years. My thanks go to everyone who
launched this unique campaign in 2012, who have supported it ever since and
thus made it possible. Every time I visited the children's cancer ward at the
UKSH, I felt how important our commitment is to everyone there. When I saw the
seriously ill children and young people, I always realized how privileged my
own life is. Helping them has always filled me with joy and gratitude. And I am
thrilled that this campaign will continue after my career ends," says
Patrick Wiencek.
To mark the end of this remarkable partnership, a
symbolic cheque for €17,000 - a tribute to Wiencek’s jersey number 17 - was
presented at his official farewell match by Wiencek himself and ORLEN
Deutschland COO Dennis Kulbach to Prof. Dr Gunnar Cario of UKSH. The former THW
Kiel captain also showed immense personal dedication, regularly visiting
children at the hospital throughout his career.
“With the
player sponsorship, we have created something unique and achieved so much
together over the years. We know that every single euro has done a lot of good
and supported the valuable work at UKSH,” says Dennis Kulbach, Chief Operating Officer of ORLEN Deutschland. “I would like to sincerely thank Patrick for his
commitment - on and off the court. ORLEN Deutschland wishes him all the best
for his future.”
Continued Commitment: Andreas Wolff Joins the Campaign
The initiative doesn't end here. Since the 2024/25
season, ORLEN Deutschland has also sponsored national team goalkeeper Andreas
Wolff, pledging €300 for every 7-metre save he makes. With 22 penalty saves
over 34 games this season, Wolff raised €8,000, bringing the total donation
amount for the year to a record €25,000. The farewell game, held in front of a sold-out
crowd at Wunderino Arena in Kiel, showcased the deep solidarity of the
campaign, with Wiencek’s “Piet & Friends” all-star team proudly wearing the
logos of ORLEN Deutschland and UKSH.
"This year-long sponsorship has enabled us to
systematically develop individual sports and exercise therapy as the fourth
pillar of our work to cure children and adolescents with cancer, starting with
the first piece of equipment - a high-quality bicycle ergometer - to setting up
a complete fitness room and co-financing a sports scientist for our team. This
is truly unique," says Prof. Dr. Gunnar Cario, Director of the Clinic for
Pediatric Oncology and Rheumatology at the UKSH.
ORLEN Deutschland and THW Kiel share a
partnership spanning over 14 years. Since 2016, the company has been the main
and jersey sponsor of the German record handball champions - a sponsorship that
was extended early in February 2025 for another five years, until 2030.
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Picture (v.l.n.r.): Mascot Hein Daddel, Andreas Wolff
(THW Kiel), Dennis Kulbach (ORLEN Deutschland), Patrick Wiencek (THW Kiel) und
Prof. Dr. Gunnar Cario (UKSH).
©Sascha Klahn
PM_ORLEN Deutschland donates over 135,000 euros during 13-years of player sponsorship for a good cause
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About ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH was founded in March
2003. It
is a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Polish multi-energy group ORLEN S.A. and
part of the international ORLEN Group. The company currently operates over 600
ORLEN and star filling stations on the German market. ORLEN Deutschland GmbH,
based in Elmshorn, is one of the ten largest filling station operators in
Germany and is involved in a wide range of sports and cultural sponsorship
activities (e.g. handball, winter sports, music festivals).
In keeping with the claim
“Moving forward together”, ORLEN and star filling stations offer high-quality
fuels as well as their own shop products at an attractive price-performance
ratio. ORLEN Deutschland is increasingly focussing on the expansion of
electromobility offerings, alternative, sustainable fuels and the environmentally
friendly use of resources. Customers receive additional services such as car
washing, ATM and package services at many stations. Filling stations with 'star
café' and 'stop.café’ invite customers to take a break in a feel-good
atmosphere and offer coffee specialties throughout the day, a wide selection of
food, as well as hot and cold snacks.
ORLEN S.A. further expanded its market position in the DACH region at the
beginning of 2024 with the acquisition of Turmöl fuel stations. With over 260
stations, ORLEN has a market share of around 10% in Austria, making it one of
the three largest owners of fuel station networks in the country.
Press Contact:
ORLEN Deutschland GmbH
Erika de Gier
Head
of Corporate Communications
Phone:
+4915146251041
erika.degier@orlen-deutschland.de
Klaus-Peter Dittrich
Corporate
Communications Manager
Phone:
+49412147501768
klaus-peter.dittrich@orlen-deutschland.de