Porsche's 'Racing for Charity' initiative makes a comeback

Porsche is racing again towards a good cause.

Just as it did last year, the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team will tackle the 24 Hours of Le Mans with three Porsche 963 race cars. With each lap driven by the cars, Porsche will donate approximately $1094 (€750) as part of its continuing 'Racing for Charity' initiative. Likewise, the proceeds from 'Racing for Charity' will go to three different organisations: Kinderherzen retten e.V., Interplast Germany e.V., and the Ferry Porsche Foundation.

Among other beneficiaries, the 'Racing for Charity' initiative has to facilitate life-saving heart operations for young people - including children - from around the world (Pictured: Five-year old Manar, from Syria)

As if the per lap donation sum wasn't sizeable enough on its own, it's important to keep in mind just how far the cars go in Le Mans. Last year, Porsche's three hybrid racing cars completed a total of 733 laps... which resulted in a whopping sum of over $800,000 (€549,750). Things didn't stop there, however, as Porsche took it a step further by topping up an additional $1.33 billion (€911,000).

These donations helped Kinderherzen retten e.V. provide ten young people from El Salvador, Syria, Albania and Afghanistan with successful, life-saving heart operations.

Interplast Germany e.V., on the other hand, used their portion of donations for medical missions in various places, such as Tanzania and Mozambique, with acute aid. Lastly, the Ferry Porsche Foundation used the donation to support seriously-ill children and their families.

As a result of its charitable efforts, Porsche achieved first place in the 'Sustainable Endurance Award' of the Le Mans organiser Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), with the 'Racing for Charity' initiative in 2023. Two 963 works racing cars already boast the logos of the fundraising initiative at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium - placed on the inside of the front right fender. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15 and 16 June 2024, the team will once more field a third Porsche 963.

Porsche's charitable efforts within the motorsports arena are part of its larger commitment to giving back to society globally. In 2023, the company states that it supported a total of 150 projects worldwide, with similar initiatives undertaken in football and tennis.