This year, I'm taking on my first three ultramarathons, circling the three largest Bavarian lakes. With this challenge, I want to support a worthy cause: with your help, I aim to save three meals for every kilometre I run, which will be donated to those in need.
A third of all food ends up in the trash, and every day, 72,000 servings of hot meals are thrown away in Czech cafeterias. Thankfully, there’s the organization Zachraň jídlo (Save Food), which is working to reduce these numbers by redirecting food to those who lack it. And it’s their project, Obědovka(Save the Lunch), that I want to support with my runs.
Over the past few years, I’ve saved more than 120 meals using the Too Good to Go app. However, I’m aware that a hot meal can be even more meaningful to people facing hardship. Let’s work together to add more meals to the tens of thousands already saved and help those who need it most!
🟢 Why Obědovka?
It’s wasteful and inefficient to throw away perfectly good food when someone else could benefit from it.
It directly helps people in difficult situations.
Food waste is also closely linked to other pressing issues, such as massive waste production and methane emissions from organic matter.
Out of respect for the energy, human effort, animal lives, and everything else involved in producing food.
I appreciate that Zachraň jídlo focuses not only on immediate solutions like saving meals but also on driving essential legislative changes.
🟢 How does it all work?
The saved food consists of uneaten portions from Czech cafeterias. The money raised funds the entire process of transporting the food from the kitchens to those in need, covering costs like transportation, containers, and courier work. The project is also expanding with these funds – building partnerships with more businesses and developing a mobile app to streamline the entire process. Support goes to shelters, homeless individuals, the Salvation Army, and other similar organizations.
🟢 Why this project?
Because running brings me joy, and shared joy is even better.
To bring a smile to a stranger’s face and fill their stomach.
I want to make an impact at the local level.
Together, we can accomplish much more than we could alone.
Inspired by those around me, I want to inspire others to step outside their comfort zones.
🟢 About the Lake Challenge
This project began at the start of the year, when my running calendar was relatively empty. So, I decided to fill it with the Iron Lakes Challenge, aiming to run around the ten largest lakes in the region. Since I’m currently studying in Munich, this means running around Bavaria’s top 10 lakes. Only the three largest lakes remain, which constitute this project.
Finished 🔥 circumnavigation of Lake Chiemsee on Saturday brings the running part of this challenge to an end. With cloudy weather and 4 degrees at the start, this run was a very different experience and a real challenge. It was quite crazy to be honest and I only got to see the lake for the first time after 26km. But 52km completed in about 6 and a half hours and all 10 largest lakes of Bavaria now encircled! Many thanks for the support, it really pushed me through, especially in the second half.
Super grateful for all the lunches you saved together with this project 🙏 we are now 5% away from the target of 3 meals per kilometre and I think this is truly amazing and beautiful.
10/29/2024
The second ultramarathon of this challenge, 50km around the Starnberger See, completed during the weekend 💪 after a foggy start, most of the run was filled with sunshine and there were thankfully no major issues along the way, the mood was mostly cheerful thanks to the views and pleasant conditions. Many thanks for saving 225 portions of food together, you're all awesome! Next up is Chiemsee Lake, also known as the "Bavarian sea".
Thousands of people cannot afford a warm, nutritious meal, while at the same time enormous amounts of food are wasted unnecessarily. Save The Lunch rescues meals from being thrown away and helps feed people in need. At the end of the serving period, we deliver leftover warm lunches from company and school cafeterias to those in need through charitable organizations. The support is directed to single mothers, shelters, people experiencing homelessness, and the Salvation Army.
Why Donate to “Rescue Lunch”?
Every day, 100,000 portions remain in canteens that would otherwise be thrown away. ✨ Because food that would end up in the trash can feed those who need it. ✨ Because everyone deserves to experience festive moments with the feeling that someone cares. ✨ Because respect for food also means respect for people and the planet.
What Your Donation Can Do ✨ For 300 CZK, you provide 5 warm, high-quality meals to a woman who has fled her home and found shelter in a safe house. ✨ For 500 CZK, you help feed 8 lonely seniors who often live on a minimal pension. ✨ For 1,000 CZK, you provide a week’s worth of warm meals for a mother and child who are starting a new life.
Become a regular donor and give respect all year round. High-quality warm meals every day can long-term change lives for the better.
As a thank-you from us, you will also receive a free brochure “How to Shop and Store Food Properly”, which gives practical tips on avoiding food waste and inspiration for a simple recipe.
How Donations Work
We rescue remaining, wholesome lunches from company and school canteens and deliver them directly where they are most needed – to shelters, single mothers, seniors, or people without homes. Thanks to you, ordinary surplus can become a real gift.
Your donations help the project grow – we can expand collaborations with new canteens and regularly update the mobile app that makes the donation process more efficient.
After your donation is received, we will automatically send you a LUNCH RESCUER CERTIFICATE by email, which you can give to your loved ones as a symbol of help and a good deed.
