During 2016, Traventuria had the chance to organize a handful of events that were charity oriented. Two of our initiatives received recognition for their positive impact from Bulgarian non-profit organizations. These initiatives were our “Tours with a Cause” trips and our “Day Tour with Maria’s World Foundation” event.
“Tours with a Cause” is an ongoing initiative that aims to meet nature enthusiasts with the beauty of Bulgaria’s flora and fauna. During these trips, participants learned about the importance of preserving the local nature and what species live there. Some of the more popular destinations we went to were the Belasitsa and Rusenski Lom nature parks, the Kresna protected zone and the Burgas wetlands. Other than showcasing Bulgaria’s nature to hundreds of participants, each of these trips financially supported important local causes. “Tours with a Cause” was nominated by the Bulgarian Foundation for Biodiversity and won their “Businesses which support biodiversity” award.
During the 2015/16 winter season, we organised a day trip to Borovets for young people with intellectual disabilities. The goal of our trip was to show the beauty of the Bulgarian mountains to clients of Maria’s World Foundation, a NPO which focuses on integrating people with intellectual disabilities into the work force. For many of them, this was their first time in Borovets, or any winter resort for that matter. Each participant had the chance to ride the gondola to its top station, test snow shoes and sleds and some were brave enough to go skiing with an instructor. Such experiences are extremely important for people with disabilities, as they give them confidence and broaden their horizons. For many of them it was their first field trip and some were very nervous during the day, but in the end everything went perfectly and they are eager for their next trip. During Maria’s World Foundation’s annual charity ball we were awarded with their “Corporate Dream Wizard of the Year” award, which is given out the companies which fulfill the dreams of their members.
We at Traventuria are grateful for these awards and will continue our efforts throughout 2017.