GT Racing Organisers SRO Pledges To Notre-Dame Restoration

The iconic Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris was seriously damaged by fire earlier this week, and it will take years before the structure is restored back to its former glory. Nevertheless, help has been pouring in from all corners of the world for restoration of the cathedral and now the SRO Motorsports Group has joined the initiative pledging $56,000 (around Rs. 39 lakh) towards the renovation. The SRO Group is the world's leading organiser of GT racing, and its portfolio of world championships include the Blancpain GT Series and the GT World Challenge America.

SRO founder Stephane Ratel was brought up in Paris, France and understands the importance of the 850-year-old structure that remains iconic to the city as much as the Eiffel Tower. Speaking about SRO's contribution, Ratel said, "Like so many others at SRO across the various continents where we operate, I was deeply affected by the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris. In agreement with everyone in the company, I wanted to do something to be a part of the reconstruction, which is why we have decided to make a donation through SRO Paris. While SRO is a global company with its main office located in London, France will always be our second home and Notre-Dame is a building of tremendous significance to Paris."

Apart from SRO, other corporate giants including the three richest families in France have also pledged to contribute to the restoration of the Nore-Dame cathedral. The total contributions pledged had reached over $1 billion, as of writing this report.

In a televised address to the nation recently, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he vowed to rebuild the cathedral of Notre Dame "even more beautiful." Macron further added that he shared in the nation's sorrow and hope for the future and there will be time for reflection and then action. The President further said that he wants the cathedral to be rebuilt in five years, although experts suggest it will take over a decade for the restoration to complete. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was due to an accident and no foul play has been reported yet.