- TAKE IT IZI
FOUNDATION HISTORY
No one predicted that IZI Meetings would enjoy such growing interest. Although the TAKE IT IZI Foundation obtained legal personality and was officially registered in 2023, nevertheless the genesis of its establishment goes back a few dozen years.
The originator of the first IZI Meeting rallies was Izi himself. He initiated many meetings, trips and various spontaneous motorcycle actions. He was always on the lookout for a reason to do something that could also help others. He felt that since motorcyclists were getting together anyway, why not take advantage of this, organize some sort of collection with a charitable purpose. He planned a meeting of travelers, after returning from his trip. He could not foresee that he would no longer arrive and exchange hugs with his friends. July 26, 2010. died at 130. Khorog – Ishkashim – Langar road kilometer. What he didn’t expect was that the first travel and charity event would be held in his memory, and that all the aid collected would go to the family members he left behind as he departed on his eternal motorcycle journey.
And so it began. Already after the first meeting, all participants declared to meet exactly next year, in exactly the same place. The venue was the castle in Grodziec. The then castellan of the castle, Zenon Bernacki, joined in. He opened the gates, opened the chambers, made the bailey accessible. And so it began… Since then, for 3 days a year Grodziec castle is closed to public use. It is completely given over to incoming motorcycle and non-motorcycle travelers. The annual rallies have become a must-attend event on the calendar of more and more people, more and more travelers. Travel became just an excuse to meet. It doesn’t matter what mode of transportation someone uses.
What all previous meetings have in common, besides the journey, is the charity auction, which is an integral part of every IZI Meeting. This is already a tradition of meetings in Grodziec. Everyone eagerly participates in the auction, knowing that the funds raised will go to a pre-selected beneficiary. Each year, the funds go to a pre-selected target. So far, we have been able to support a fellow motorcyclist who lost both legs in a train accident. On another occasion, the aid went to Ewelina, whose husband Giermo was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident during their honeymoon in Montenegro. There was also Wojtek “Devil” Zambrzycki, who suffered an accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. In 2022, funds went to the kindergarten, supporting orphaned children, as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Charity is also helped by an annual calendar, where all profits from sales join a pool of funds to support those in need.
And so the need was born to strengthen these charitable activities, to expand their area. So far, these were camaraderie meetings of motorcycle travelers, friends of Izi, who wanted to do something good on the occasion. The organizers of these meetings, who have been in the team from the very beginning, continuously since 2011 Lukasz Kujawa (Twin) and Marcin Woyna-Orlewicz (Jochen) decided to take the next step of establishing the Foundation and expanding the circle of activities undertaken. Thus, on January 26, 2023. A notarial deed was signed, bringing the Foundation into existence.
We are aware that 2023 will go down in history. However, we hope that the Foundation will be able to boast a much broader output in the next period. We would like IZI Meeting to remain our leading event. One where we will be able to sum up the year’s achievements, and the charity auction will continue to be a mainstay of meetings at the castle.
