Changes

--- by Noemi.

[[Image:wukk_hasekuh.jpg|thumb|240px|right|the car that inspired malte and marcel for more...]]

''From the 23 of August on 12 people in 5 groups made their way hitchhiking from Hamburg to Zaragoza for the Open Network Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli, a charity movement from Hamburg-St.Pauli, which provides different villages in Latinamerica and Africa with clear drinkwater resources. On their way the hitchhikers called attention for the worldwide drinkwater problems with 5000 flyers in different languages and through the media.

Malte, participant and member of the organisation-team describes the way how the idea of such a race was born till the end with reactions of friends, surroundings and media.''

It has been someday in 2006, when I and my best friend Marcel decided to hitchhike the first time a bit around Europe. We had no idea how to hitchhike, just got some information on the internet and a couple of days later our thumbs were shining the first time in the sun on the road direction south of Hamburg, destination Corsica to do the circle around the island. Our first ride in a foreign country was probably one of the most amazing till now, but for sure unforgettable.

We imagined some great evenings and stories if we only had met these guys once to share some time together on a bonfire...Too bad we did'nt...

[[Image:wukk_tramprennen.jpg|thumb|240px|right|the hitchhikers spread this flyer in three languages 5000 times on their 2500km long way from Hamburg to Zaragoza]]

Behind every of these activities stands one simple idea: to combine fun and social engagement.

So our idea of a hitchhike race fitted perfectly in the philosophy of this a little bit different charity organisation. A hitchhike-race, the ultimate combination of fun and the possibility to support the drinkwater-projects in countries in Latinamerica and Africa.We liked the idea a lot and so started to work out everything necessary.

After quite some time of disappointment after all that effort we just kept on working out the last details for the race. We needed a camera to document the whole race, we contacted different radio stations and newspapers, even wrote a short message to a local TV Channel which is covering the whole north of Germany. Our destiantion was still Zaragoza, the place where the EXPO 2008 took place with the topic "Water and Sustainable Development" and we wanted to see this exhibition for free, so we asked the german pavillon for some support. 5000 Flyers needed to be designed and printed in 3 different languages to spread the idea of Viva con Agua on the way and we still wanted to find sponsors before the race who donate one cent for each hitchhiked kilometer. In that way we avoided to ask people for money during the race, because for us it was out of question to keep hitchhiking free of money for the whole time we gonna spend on the road.

'''Wow! it seems to work! - Reactions close before the start and after two weeks of hitchhiking'''

[[Image:wukk_gruppenfoto.jpg|thumb|240px|right|the whole hitchhiking crew and their spontaneous host Boby in Montpellier]]