“Helping makes you happy!”: With this motto, Wolfram Kons, Vice Chairman of Stiftung RTL - Wir helfen Kindern and Head of RTL Charity, opened the 29th edition of the RTL Spendenmarathon on Thursday 21 November at 18:00. Over the course of 24 hours, a donation studio collected money for Stiftung RTL - Wir helfen Kindern – with hourly live broadcasts on flagship channel RTL – and an inclusive sports challenge set a new world record while raising awareness for people with disabilities. After 24 hours, a total of €16,619,389 had been collected to support children’s aid projects, both in Germany and across the world. With this amount, the total donation amount since the first RTL Spendenmarathon in 1996 is €304,494,353 – over €300 million collected for children in need!

Stephan Schmitter, CEO of RTL Deutschland and Chairman of the Board of Stiftung RTL - Wir helfen Kindern, says: “This impressive donation result is proof that with passion and commitment, we can achieve an enormous amount together. Many people in Germany have a big heart when it comes to social support – this makes me very happy, and I would like to thank our viewers and all supporters for their solidarity. I promise that every cent donated will go where it is urgently needed – to our aid projects that support children in need.”

Wolfram Kons, Vice Chairman of Stiftung RTL - Wir helfen Kindern and Head of RTL Charity, says: “I am overwhelmed by how many happy helpers have supported us this year with so much passion and joy. I, too, would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. With these feelings of happiness, we are now starting a very special new year, because in November 2025 we will celebrate the 30th RTL Spendenmarathon!”

An inclusive world record

Despite freezing temperatures and rain, a new world record was set during the 24-hour sports challenge. Together with patron Kristina Vogel and in cooperation with the German Disabled Sports Association, teams from 20 different companies covered more than 22,000 laps and 3,330 kilometres of an obstacle course – all while using a wheelchair. As a result, the RTL Spendenmarathon achieved another world record – this time for the “longest team distance of a wheelchair course (24 hours, relay).” The new world record has been certified by the German Record Institute and raised €633,381 for charity, which will be used to support inclusion projects for children.

As in 2023 and 2022, the RTL Spendenmarathon was an environmentally friendly production in line with the ecological standards of the Green Shooting working group.