Heating up the fight against loneliness with Callens' ‘Heatwave’
Callens is turning up the heat on its employees in support of De Warmste Week’s theme of fighting loneliness. They will raise money through a 10-week ‘Heatwave’ campaign, consisting of 20 challenges, each valued at €500. The highlight of the campaign is the Hotshot: a chocolate roulette with four pralines—one of which is spicy—created by renowned chocolatier Dominique Persoone. The goal is to sell 1,966 boxes to family and friends.
Dominique adds flavor to the Hotshot
The Hotshot challenge was conceived by our HR and Marketing teams. Earlier this year, they teamed up with Dominique Persoone for a playful recruitment campaign—"Find the right Persoone"—and now they’re partnering again for this bold flavor-packed initiative for charity. The Hotshot comes in a matchbox containing four matchstick-shaped pralines, one of which is spicy. You can only discover which one it is by tasting—a true chocolate roulette.
"The Hotshot idea was born out of a colleague’s joke. We were, as we often do, enjoying chocolates and guessing the flavors. Colleague Stijn joked that we should be careful of the spicy ones. That’s when the lightbulb went off, and the Hotshot was born!" says marketing team member Niels.
We aim to sell 1,966 boxes to family and friends, symbolizing the year our warm family business was founded. This will generate a substantial contribution to De Warmste Week.
A Heatwave with 20 fiery challenges
The Hotshot is just one of the 20 challenges that Callens has lined up for the 10-week Heatwave campaign, all in support of De Warmste Week. Throughout the campaign, employees will take on a range of athletic, creative, and daring tasks to raise funds.
The other 19 challenges include:
- Athletic feats like walking, running 2,000 km, and cycling 10,000 km
- Creative projects, such as forming a 'Band of Fire' with colleagues and designing and building a fire pit
- Volunteering, planting trees, and donating blood
- Thrilling challenges like walking on hot coals, flying a plane with a Callens banner, and getting local celebrities to record motivational messages for the team
If we complete at least 15 out of the 20 challenges, management has promised a unique surprise in return!
Why we’re joining the fight against loneliness
Callens is known as a warm, family-owned company. As a 'Family of Fire', we value connection and care for one another, both in the workplace and beyond. That’s why, during De Warmste Week, we’re committed to helping combat loneliness—a growing issue for many people.
With our Heatwave campaign and its challenges, we aim not only to raise money but also to increase awareness of the importance of social connection. Our employees are putting their hearts and souls into making a difference—and we hope our fiery passion inspires others to do the same.
Feel the heat? Match it with one of our job openings and join our Family of Fire!