Altena. The weather played along and many visitors came to the helpers’ festival in Altena on the Lenne Promenade. The city had invited people there to say thank you to the numerous helpers after the flood disaster last year.
Altena’s Mayor Uwe Kober used the short official part of the helpers’ festival to thank all those who helped to clean up the castle town after the flood disaster: fire brigades, emergency services, the district and neighboring towns, but also the many private individuals; Kober highlighted the “support and solidarity” that has continued to this day. The helpers’ party is supposed to be a “small thank you” because “what they have done cannot be paid for with money,” said Kober.
Mayor Kober is asking for trust
However, Kober also made it clear that the reconstruction would take years. As an example, he named the outdoor and indoor swimming pool in Dahle, which, as is well known, suffered a total loss as a result of the flooding. It will only be possible to swim there again “in a few years”, said Kober – who was also campaigning for trust in the city administration, but also for himself as mayor: “Trust me – we are working flat out”, says Uwe Kober. And further: “Everything that lies in my power, I will do”.
District Administrator Marco Voge also thanked the many helpers.
The helpers’ festival also provided the framework for making up for the 2020 and 2021 Altena Citizens’ Awards, which were canceled due to the corona pandemic.
The citizens’ award for 2020 goes to their offspring on behalf of the entire fire brigade: the Altena children’s fire brigade. Mayor Kober recalled the forest fires, the flood operation and most recently the major fires that the fire brigade – most of them volunteer firefighters – had dealt with. “You are the ones we need,” said Uwe Kober, praising the children’s fire brigade.
The Citizens’ Prize for 2021, when the flood disaster struck the castle town, goes to two people: to the owners of “Germany’s most beautiful cinema and the oldest restaurant in Altena”, to Nicole Güldner and Patrick Hochstein. Both of their houses and businesses “were badly affected by the flood themselves,” explained Kober; but both were still “always there as contacts for the interests of the Nette”, would have made the cinema and restaurant available as a meeting place or provisional advice office. With the awarding of the Altena Citizens’ Prize to Güldner and Hochstein, their “selfless and disinterested help” is acknowledged.
Mayor Kober announced an innovation at the end: There should be a “family tree” for the winners of the Citizens’ Prize. It will be designed by cartoonist and graphic artist Tanja Graumann; it should find its place in Holtzbrinck Castle.
The program attracts visitors to the Lenne Promenade
Sandra Schnell from the Catholic parish of St. Matthäus opened the volunteer festival at 3 p.m. with a short welcome speech on the stage between the Lenneterrassen. The music school Lennetal and the wind class of the Burggymnasium, as well as the dance groups “No Limit” and “Black Fusion” from the Diembeck dance school, the Tambourcorps Dahle and Clown Lino with his balloons provided the best entertainment in the afternoon.
The band FadersUp created a good atmosphere at the helpers’ festival with live music, after which DJ License played until 11 p.m. before the surprise was revealed: A laser show provided the crowning glory of the helpers’ festival “Altena says thank you”. (ls)
Photos: Bjorn Braun
