Disadvantaged children in the Republic of Korea will benefit from Bridgestone support

A new partnership between Bridgestone and POCOG will help the PyeongChang 2018 Education Programme expand its reach to a new group of students – the children of the Shin Mang Won Orphanage in Gyeonggi Province, Yangpyeong-gun. 

Education is a core element of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the organisers of which have developed an official education programme, first launched in 2016, that teaches the values of the Olympic Movement through activities designed to excite, inform and engage students across the Republic of Korea in the countdown to the Olympic Winter Games. The POCOG Education Team has so far reached more than two million students and aims to engage as many students as possible by the end of Games time.

“Supporting people, especially children, in the communities where we operate is core to ‘Our Way to Serve,’ which is Bridgestone’s global corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment. Bridgestone has operated in South Korea since 2001, long before we signed on as a Worldwide Olympic Partner in June 2014. We are incredibly proud that our support can bring the PyeongChang 2018 Education Programme to the Shin Mang Won Orphanage to help spread the Olympic spirit and inspire these incredible children to always chase their dreams,” said Kensuke Yoshida, Managing Director of Bridgestone Tire Sales Korea Ltd.

Special events and ambassadors to engage Shin Mang Won children

On 3 December, Bridgestone and POCOG co-hosted a “PyeongChang Day” at the orphanage, in which children could experience Olympic sports and learn about the Olympic values. The event featured sports demonstrations, Olympic trivia challenges, and a special visit from Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Ko Gi-hyun. 

Bridgestone is planning two additional events for the children at the orphanage: 

• In January, the company will give the Shin Mang Won children a chance to witness the Olympic Torch Relay passing through Seoul and participate in the local community celebration. 

• In February, Bridgestone will provide Shin Mang Won children a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience PyeongChang 2018 first-hand, by inviting them to a VIP spectator programme at the Olympic Winter Games.

Earlier in 2017, Bridgestone pledged to serve as a PyeongChang 2018 Sustainability Supporter and help promote POCOG’s “New Horizons for Sustainability” vision to benefit people and nature through the Olympic Games PyeongChang 2018. These partnerships with POCOG are aligned with the company’s “Our Way to Serve” commitment, which includes a focus on supporting people, the environment and mobility.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Bridgestone is the world’s largest tyre and rubber manufacturer. Through a global message of “Chase Your Dream,” Bridgestone is providing its leading products, services and expertise in support of the world’s greatest athletes and the staging of the Olympic Games through to 2024. As a member of the TOP Programme and the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel, the company also is proud to showcase its commitment to community service, social responsibility, environmental stewardship and respect for diversity – all tenets of the Olympic Charter that lie at the heart of the Bridgestone brand and its mission of “Serving Society with Superior Quality”.

For more information, please visit www.bridgestone.com/olympics
For more information on the partnership and the PyeongChang 2018 Education Programme, visit: http://edu.pyeongchang2018.com/front/main.php