Schlawine (Mischief), Machnix (Layabout), Böhnchen (Lil Bean), Flora, Jojo and Pünktchen (Dotty) are all clown doctors from Würzburg. Since 2014 the company Kräuter Mix from Abtswind, Germany, has been supporting their work through regular donations. Since Mix for Kids was founded in 2018 as a non-profit association by the company, who is their largest sponsor to this day, the clown doctors have received numerous grants as project partners.

The Würzburg clown doctors are specially trained artists, therapists, educators and talented entertainers, often with medical training. They regularly visit children in hospital in Würzburg and Schweinfurt to inject some fun and joy into their time together and to put a smile on the little patients’ faces. After all, everyone knows that laughter is best medicine!

The clown doctors are funded exclusively by donations, which are used for their fees, further training to ensure that their work is the best quality it can be, props and small gifts for the children. The clowns are self-employed, usually part-time artists and receive a fee for their performances.

Over the years, Mix for Kids has made a number of financial donations to the clown doctors.

2023
Funding decision by Mix for Kids members
At the Mix for Kids annual general meeting in the fall of 2022, members decided to focus more on children in need in Germany and to support projects in the association’s regional area. This once again benefited the clown doctors who received 1000 euros toward their visits to the children’s wards.

2022
1000 euros from KTU delivery service
It’s usually up to the clowns to put a smile on others’ faces, however this time the clowns themselves had something to be happy about: a donation of 1000 euros for their work. The donation was made by KTU, a delivery service from Wiesentheid, who donated the money to Mix for Kids for the clown doctors. “We are delighted that by supporting the clown doctors we are helping such an important initiative bring joy to children and other patients in hospital,” said KTU managing directors Markus Leckert and Richard Stumpf.

2019
3000 euros from Kräuter Mix
The clown doctors received 3000 euros at the Kräuter Mix staff party in Abtswind. Schlawine (Tatjana Kapp), Machnix (Silvia Kirchhof), Böhnchen (Torsten Wittorf) and Flora (Karin Laug) were overjoyed about the donation and spread their enthusiasm to the 700 guests during the joint Mexican wave.

2019
1000 euros from the Sparkasse
‘From the region, for the region’ is the core idea behind the Sparkasse Mainfranken Würzburg’s social engagement. The financial institution regularly supports many local associations and initiatives relating to sport, culture and social issues. Donations and sponsorship are often the only reason that important activities are possible in the first place. Around 1000 cultural, sporting, social, scientific and environmental projects are supported every single year in Mainfranken. The Sparkasse also presented Mix for Kids with 1000 euros which was earmarked for the clown doctors.

2018
3333 euros from Kräuter Mix
The clown doctors would have been just as happy with a round sum, but the Kräuter Mix company from Abtswind thought that 3333 euros was more in keeping with the clowns’ work and therefore topped up its donation to reach the repeated digits. Kräuter Mix, which produces herbs, spices and teas, printed information on the clowns’ work on the packaging of the KinderTräumerei fruit tea and the TraumReise herbal tea from the LebensMix range, as they had promised to donate 35 cents from every package bought by the consumer to the clown doctors. Part of the money fulfilled this promise. Kräuter Mix has regularly donated to the clown doctors since 2014, and since Mix for Kids was founded in 2018, Kräuter Mix, as their largest sponsor, has continued their support through the non-profit.

The Children and Adolescents’ Home in Geesdorf has been a Mix for Kids permanent sponsorship project since 2019. Founded in 1977, the social and educational institution requires new purchases and investments each year, which it cannot afford on its own. Therefore, this home to nine boys and girls depends on donations.

Mix for Kids has already financed holidays and excursions for the children, renovations for their home, laptops and printers for distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, an e-bike and a bicycle trailer for trips out together, as well as a new kitchen.

2024
Investing in the future
The Children and Adolescents’ Home was becoming a bit run down. Renovations were needed in various places. This was a financial balancing act, but as an investment in the future of the facility it was also an investment in the children’s future, with the aim of helping them to feel more at home. After more than 40 years, the hot water tank was due for replacement. The new tank was connected up to the photovoltaic system that was installed on the roof of the building in 2023 to reduce the load on the old oil heating system. Three children’s rooms were also in urgent need of new furniture and a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Mix for Kids funded the projects with a total of 3000 euros.

2023
Adventure vacation and a chocolate excursion
The highlight of the whole year was the communal vacation during the summer break which was eagerly awaited by everyone. The children and youngsters went away with their youth workers for a whole week. This time the destination was the Sauerland in Germany. An entire vacation home was booked for eight days and the program was packed with fun and games. All this – as well as the trip to the botanical garden in Würzburg a few weeks later – was made possible by Mix for Kids. There was a guided tour of the greenhouses, where they heard interesting facts about the tropical rainforest and the cacao tree. The girls and boys were also given the chance to make their own cocoa cream in the chocolate workshop.

2023
New kitchen curries favor
After 45 years, the Children and Adolescents’ Home has recently bought a new kitchen. The old one was damaged beyond repair after so many years of use. The room was overrun with problems, but eleven people were still reliant on it morning, noon and night. The children’s home was struggling to find the 10,000 euros needed for the refit. Luckily, several supporters stepped in to help finance the new kitchen, with Mix for Kids donating the largest sum of 4,000 euros. More than ever since the renovation, the kitchen is the hub of the children and teenagers’ everyday lives as a place for them to cook, bake and relax together.

2022
No one left behind
Cycling is a key leisure activity at the Children and Adolescents’ Home in Geesdorf. The social workers at the home make sure to run regular cycling trips and each child has their own bike. The only problem is that the youngest children can’t yet ride them! To make sure everyone is included in the trips, Mix for Kids donated an e-bike and bicycle trailer to the home. The trailer can hold up to two children, while the bike’s engine means one social worker can take the weight of the trailer without falling behind from the group.

2020
Well-equipped for distance learning
Before the pandemic, the Children and Adolescent’s Home had only one laptop, which was fine at the time. But when the schools closed and classes switched to distance learning to stop the spread, the lack of equipment quickly became an issue as nine pupils at the home had to study online and communicate with the teachers. Mix for Kids therefore purchased three laptops and two color-laser multifunction printers, making the transition to distance learning much easier.

2019
Holidays and a new recreation room
During the summer holidays, the children and young people always go away together, which is an adventure in itself. They get to leave the home and see and experience something different. But what happens if there isn’t enough money in the travel fund? Do you skip out on the holiday? Of course not! Mix for Kids helped out by making it possible for them to go on holiday together. The association also financed the renovation of a recreation room in the home.

Playing, crafting, painting, rollicking around, dancing, making music and playing sports – the Spieli children’s center in Würzburg has a lot to offer for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 14. Mix for Kids wants to use its financial support to expand the range of activities offered by the open, supervised and free community club. This will allow children to experience new adventures at events, courses and activities which share knowledge, boost self-confidence and create a sense of community. The Spieli, which opened in 1976, has been a Mix for Kids funding institution since 2023.

2023
Soccer, yoga, herbs and an exotic excursion
The heart of the action this summer was on the Spieli sports field as 35 children competed in a soccer tournament, with the best team winning a trophy. Catering was free of charge for all participants throughout the day. For movements of a completely different kind, there was yoga. The session, which was led by a qualified teacher, lasted 13 hours. For the 60 children who took up the offer, the exercises were a completely new experience for their bodies. Meanwhile, 30 boys and girls got the chance to immerse themselves in nature when it came to creating a herb garden at Spieli. This included not only buying the plants and planting the herbs in the beds but also nurturing and harvesting them. Things took a more exotic turn at the botanical garden, where there was a tour of the greenhouses focusing on the rainforest and the cacao tree.