Guerrilla action for water instead of sweet drinks

Guerilla action by the Gorillas: Employees of the Gorilla health promotion program in the city of Zurich use a sticker to paste over posters of the current Coca-Cola campaign. The message on it: "Drink tap water"! In this way, the team wants to draw attention to the aggressive marketing of the sweet drink manufacturer, which is mainly aimed at young people.

Sweet drinks already for breakfast

Schtifti Foundation founder Roger Grolimund says: "We are very concerned that schoolchildren are already drinking energy drinks for breakfast. Sweet drinks have an enormous impact on health and can cause hyperactivity. The strategy of the large corporations is easy to see through: To show their products in an active living environment, stars are bought in as ambassadors and opinion leaders. However, kids are not informed about the consequences of excessive consumption of these sweet drinks or light products."

For 14 years, young freestyle sports professionals and nutrition coaches have been committed to the foundation Schtifti Foundation, which raises awareness among children and young people about active lifestyles, balanced nutrition and sustainable consumption. From the program Gorilla has now become an international movement supported by over 100 ambassadors. These teach children and young people life skills in a youth-oriented way and motivate them to take responsibility for their own well-being.

65,000 schoolchildren have already taken part in one-day workshops throughout Switzerland. A lot of experience has been gained in the process.

Support for professional athletes

Many world-renowned freestyle athletes are committed to the Gorilla movement. Roger Grolimund notes that today more and more professional athletes are turning away from the beverage multinationals and promoting drinking water. Roger Grolimund: "If you wear a Red Bull logo on your cap, you have to be aware of your role as a role model to the kids. Kids look up to you and don't think about what's really in that can. This world needs a sustainable and honest change, it's high time for that."

Freestyle skier and world champion Virginie Faivre also supports Gorilla with full conviction: "Manufacturers of sweet drinks have never interested me as a professional athlete, because my body is my most important asset. I drink water and not sweet drinks, because energy comes from nature. After all, you don't give plants sweet drinks either." The entire Gorilla team feels it has a duty to educate children and young people about what they eat every day.

Snowboarder Reto Kestenholz says about the commitment: "I drink a lot of water every day, as this is much healthier and cheaper than consuming sweet drinks. In many countries - like here in Switzerland - the highest safety standards apply to drinking water from the tap, and there's nothing to complain about in terms of taste! I usually do without any beverage containers. Because the transport and costly recycling of such containers often makes little sense and can hardly be justified ecologically."