IWC JOURNAL: LAUREUS DRAWING CONTEST

Cast your vote for your favorite artwork drawn by participants in the IWC Watch Drawing Competition and you may see it on the next Laureus special limited edition watch.

Three young artists have the chance to have their work immortalized on an IWC timepiece as the IWC Watch Drawing Competition gets underway, and you can help select the winner.

The competition is organized annually by IWC and the Laureus Sport for Good, which supports sport and community programs that take on some of the toughest issues facing young people today including violence and discrimination.

Each year, the organization holds the drawing competition under a theme aligned with one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The young people from Laureus-supported programmes participating in the contest submit artwork that reflects their interpretation of the topic.

—Melan of Sri Lanka

—Leticia of Brazil

Fun variations on a theme

The theme for 2018 is “A Time to Learn,” which aligns with education, one of the development goals as well as one of Laureus Sport for Good’s six focus areas. “The thoughtful and fun entries we received really highlight the different perceptions young people have of learning, as well as demonstrating the importance they place on spending time with their friends,” Sean Fitzpatrick, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy said.

Last year, 11-year-old Ana Claudia from Brazil won for her artistic interpretation of the theme “Time to Be Healthy.” This year’s finalists hail from Sri Lanka, Uganda and Brazil. To light their creative spark and help contestants engage with the theme, group discussions were held in the participating organizations. The young people talked with each other about the importance of school and sport, and how both effect their self confidence. Teamwork and goal setting were also topics of conversation.

A jury of representatives from Laureus and IWC selected three top entries out of 400 submitted drawings. The finalists are now live on Laureus’ website, where you can vote for your favorite until July 12th. The winner will receive a special prize from IWC, while their organization will receive a donation and a visit from a Laureus Academy member or an ambassador. In 2017, Olympic gold medalist and Laureus Academy Member Li Xiaoping visited the 2016 drawing competition winner Hou Ye and his schoolmates at the Shanghai Jingan Qihui Special Education School for a fun filled day of sports, games and conversation.

A timely way to give back

The winning entry will be engraved on the reverse of the 2019 IWC Schaffhausen Laureus Sport for Good special edition timepiece, which will be unveiled next spring. The timepiece will then be made available for purchase.

“The drawing competition is an important initiative for Laureus with a portion of funds raised from the sale of the watches produced going back into the programs we support around the world, giving them the tools to help themselves and others within their communities,” said Fitzpatrick.

Since its founding in 2000, Laureus Sport for Good has grown to support over 150 community sports-based projects in over 40 countries. IWC has been a main sponsor of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation since 2005 and has launched several limited edition timepieces. We also participate in the annual Laureus World Sports Awards. Laureus Sport for Good was founded in response to a challenge issued by Nelson Mandela at the first awards ceremony in 2000 where he stated that “sport has the power to change the world.”