Before, during, and after the race, all participants try to collect as many donations as possible for the organization we support. There is a distinction between sponsors and owners.
Sponsors
Anyone can be a sponsor. In the past, families and friends were asked, coworkers, political groups, various email distribution lists were used, social media advertising was done, sometimes small campaigns and initiatives were organized, and occasionally drivers also make donations during the hitchhiking race if they are convinced by the idea (although there should be some restraint here since they are already giving us a ride). Initially, the collection is divided by teams to get everyone individually involved and motivated to take action and, inspired by the competitive nature of the race, to be at the forefront. Teams can consider offering a small token of appreciation in return, or sponsors can express their wishes in return, such as a postcard. During the race, there may be small bets and deals among each other, where the stakes are always a donation. All sponsors are listed collectively on the page of the teams they belong to, and there is an option to leave a name and a brief comment. However, in the end, the money does not go to the teams; everything is pooled together, and every cent generated goes to the supported organization
Owners
While there are no further specifications for sponsors, owners have a special role. To become an owner, one must donate at least 100 euros. Additionally, each team can have only one owner. In return, the owner has quasi-unlimited power over the team. Owners are displayed in an exposed position on their team’s page, in addition to their name and comment, they can upload their own photo and link their own website. And the best part is that tasks can be assigned that the team MUST fulfill—this aspect is much more prominent here than in sponsorships. It has been known in the past that routes have been combined to hinder the leading team in the race. However, the ownership status can also be offered by teams as a bargaining chip to generate more donations and perhaps get more enjoyable tasks. In recent years, tasks have included taking an extended break after each ride, hitchhiking in a bathrobe, hitchhiking with large objects (such as a toilet) to the destination, or jumping into a specific number of pools during the gsks should not be excessive. After all, the participants themselves do not receive the money; it is done for a good cause.
