Today that gift and Costa's involvement with Mercy Ships were formalized during a presentation at the Italian Embassy in Madrid.
Costa and Mercy Ships have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see Costa promoting the charity to passengers on board the 26 ships of its fleet, including those of the Costa brand, Costa Asia and AIDA Cruises.
The agreement also envisions creating a volunteer program for Costa and AIDA staff and crew with Mercy Ships.
Further, it offers the opportunity for the all-volunteer officers and engineers of Mercy Ships to gain seagoing experience aboard Costa Group ships.
At the Madrid ceremony, Costa president Neil Palomba presented a €100,000 check to Ricardo Menzies, chairman of Mercy Ships Spain.
Mercy Ships operates the hospital ship Africa Mercy, currently based in Cotonou, Benin. The Costa donation will go to support the more than 1,700 life-changing surgeries provided there by the all-volunteer medical team and crew who hail from 40 countries.
'We are happy to partner with Mercy Ships who provide invaluable medical services to where they are needed the most and where we can make an impact in a meaningful way,' Thamm said.
The partnership will enable selected crew members from Africa Mercy to work on board the Costa Group fleet to renew their nautical licenses. In return, crew from the Costa Group can apply for a voluntary stay on Africa Mercy.
'For Costa Group it is important to create a working environment that enables our employees to actively take part in volunteering activities,' Thamm said. 'We are looking forward to sharing our knowledge with the crew and in return have the chance to learn and grow.'
'We are so grateful for the partnership we have with the Costa Group. This will be a unique partnership which engages their employees/crew and passengers in supporting Mercy Ships and our programs and together we will leave a lasting legacy in the nations we serve,' said Don Stephens, founder/president of Mercy Ships.
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