Volunteering in focus: Gala selects heroes of commitment in Halle!

Volunteering in focus: Gala selects heroes of commitment in Halle!

On Friday evening, a brilliant evening was celebrated in the New Theater Halle, which was all about volunteer work. The focus of the event was the awarding of the citizen prize “The Donkey Who Walks on Roses”. Matthias Brenner, the long-time theater director, made it clear right from the start that there would be a special magic performance - with a guillotine. This caused amusement in the audience when magician Hans-Jürgen Sack advised him to use his left hand better. Brenner was honored for his exemplary commitment to the White Ring, while Elke Arnold was recognized for her tireless work in the children's city. The MZ reports.

The evening also offered guests a rich cultural program. These include impressive ballet performances, humorous comedic interludes and vocal performances from the opera. Another highlight was the appearance of Nils Thorben Bartling, who demonstrated his comedy talent under the pseudonym Christian Gustavson before handing over the award to the impressive Elke Arnold.

Honor and responsibility

Political figures also attended the award ceremony. Saxony-Anhalt's Infrastructure Minister Lydia Hüskens from the FDP took the opportunity to recognize the volunteer work and praise the outstanding work of Elke Arnold. Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) also spoke with a video greeting and underlined the immense importance of volunteer work for democracy and social cohesion.

The topic of responsibility towards society was taken up by Shania Timpe, winner of the “Echo Halle” project. She expressly called for a joint effort against anti-Semitism and demanded that democratic parties in the city council should not seek to collaborate with the AfD. These words were well received by the audience.

Another impressive volunteer, Steffi Wiebach, who leads an inclusive swimming group, was visibly overwhelmed by her honor as an audience award winner. This recognition underlined the diversity of the commitment that goes into the various projects and initiatives.

The “Active for Democracy and Tolerance” competition

Another core topic of the evening was the long-term competition “Active for Democracy and Tolerance”, which has been organized by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) for 25 years now. The aim of this competition is to promote and make visible voluntary work against right-wing extremism, anti-Semitism and racism. The application deadline for this year's call ends on April 1, 2025, and we are looking for special projects that actively promote the values ​​of our democracy. There is prize money of up to 10,000 euros. Information about this can be found on the website bpb.

The current competition is looking for projects that support the Basic Law and are particularly committed to human rights and against discrimination. The commitment to democracy and the strengthening of minorities are of central importance in order to promote strong, solidarity-based coexistence. Further details and the application form are also available online, such as Your volunteer reports.