This is according to Preben Hansen, chairman and coordinator at the Shadow Children secretariat in Aalborg, which is the home town of Shadow Children, but which since its inception in 2017 has also opened branches in Copenhagen and Aarhus.

For 30 years, Jes Dige has worked with children and young people who are experiencing grief due to death or serious illness in the family. The Shadow Children organization consists of a small number of professional staff who coordinate the families and group participants, and 60 volunteer group leaders who facilitate the conversations with the children in the 21 grief groups.

The primary focus of Skyggebørn is on bereavement groups, and therefore the donation of DKK 100,000 from the "Fonden Sol og Strand Margit og Kjeld" foundation, which owns Sol og Strand A/S, is very welcome. This means that in 2022, Skyggebørn will be able to intensively market the association's core values in its natural main areas of Aalborg, Copenhagen, and Aarhus.

We depend on the generosity of foundations, companies, organizations, and private individuals. This ensures the daily operations for employees, premises, and catering in the groups. This donation will be used to raise awareness of the opportunities we offer children and young people free of charge and without time limits. We are clearly best known in Aalborg and North Jutland, but we want to spread awareness throughout the entire North Jutland region, as well as in Copenhagen and Aarhus. Grief is still a taboo subject. This makes life difficult for many children and young people. In fact, 25 percent of all young people have experienced grief at close quarters before their 25th birthday. The more people we can help, the better it is for everyone, says Preben Hansen, chairman of Skyggebørn.

"HOLIDAYS WITH A GOOD HEART" – SURPLUSES BENEFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, NOT CAPITAL FUNDS
It is unique in the Danish tourism industry that the vast majority of the profits from Sol og Strand's rental of summer houses and holiday homes are converted into support for charitable and local causes within a few years. Instead of ending up in foreign capital funds and money tanks.

The chairman of the fund's board, Jens Stadum, is delighted that homeowners, holidaymakers, and employees have all contributed to the process—and that the fund is now able to distribute DKK 1 million to charitable causes for the second year in a row:

We can see from the applications—and from the feedback we receive from last year's recipients of donations from the Sol og Strand and Sol og Strand Fund—that the money makes a significant difference to many people who are struggling and facing challenges. This applies both in Denmark and beyond its borders. There is a real need for money, says the chairman of the board.

"We can say with a clear conscience that when you take a vacation through Sol og Strand, you are contributing to doing something good for others. That's what we call 'vacation with a good heart,'" says Jens Stadum.

-We have already decided that we will open applications for the next distribution pool after the summer of 2022, so that we can also donate DKK 1 million to good causes in December next year. We expect that we will then be able to distribute even larger amounts from the fund from 2023 onwards. Just like this year, the plan for the future is to gather input from homeowners, holidaymakers, and employees at Sol og Strand when we open for applications for the next distributions, says Jens Stadum.

FOUNDERS OF THE FOUNDATION: SOL OG STRAND REMAIN DANISH – AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The founders of Sol og Strand A/S, Margit and Kjeld Andersen, established the " Sol og Strand Foundation Sol og Strand Margit and Kjeld."

The couple had two wishes: to keep Sol og Strand Danish hands, but also to ensure that the company's profits would primarily go to charitable and humanitarian causes.

"We have received the money we need. And we can see that others can benefit greatly from it if we channel the surplus to humanitarian and charitable causes. This is confirmed when we see the long list of qualified applications that have been submitted to the fund again this year, says Kjeld Andersen, who, together with his wife Margit Andersen, established Sol og Strand 42 years ago.

Margit Andersen adds:

"We are very pleased to see the quality of the work we are donating money to. It is clear that the applications come from organizations that are passionate about making a difference. And that is what counts for us," says Margit Andersen.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
Preben Hansen,
Chairman and coordinator of Skyggebørn,
Tel. 40 50 00 55

Jens Stadum,
Chairman of the Board of Directors Sol og Strand the Margit and Sol og Strand Foundation,
Tel. 40856733

Kristian Andersen,
PR and Press Manager at Sol og Strand A/S,
Tel. 40293837