Torsten Sträter at the charity show in Geldern

by time news

Women’s hearts beat for a good cause
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Torsten Sträter supports the helper quartet

Four women from Geldern are putting on a benefit show for Ukraine on June 11th. The proceeds benefit an organization that campaigns for children with cancer in the war-torn country.

Torsten Sträter was one of the first to accept. Michaela Fischer likes the man with the wool hat, who travels the country and through TV as an author/poetry slammer/reader. That’s another reason why she contacted his manager to ask if he wouldn’t like to raise money and do good things for children with cancer in Ukraine.

Michaela Fischer is one of four women who not only wanted to donate to Ukraine, but wanted to do more. Carolin Burkhardt started things off. “When I saw what was happening in Ukraine, I was deeply shocked,” says the singer of the “Red Cups”, who covers rock songs from the 90s with her five bandmates. As early as mid-March, she and her band were invited to a spontaneous benefit concert in Straelen. The event raised more than 20,000 euros for the people of Ukraine.

“Why doesn’t that work in Straelen and Geldern?” thought Carolin Burkhardt and got to work. “Helping,” she says, “can be so easy.” But organizing a festival turned out to be anything but easy. Her plan was not to have the event in the open air like in Straelen, but in the auditorium of the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium, “but rent an auditorium as a private individual”. Not only music fans should get their money’s worth at their benefit show. “If Geldern can do anything, it’s cabaret,” says Carolin Burkhardt. That’s why, alongside Torsten Sträter, the poetry slammer Jule Weber, magician Schmitz-Backes, the chanson duo Marcel & Isy Project, 15-year-old Maurice from Nieukerk (“The Voice Kids”), the band “Criminal Elements”, the theater workshop of Haus Freudenberg and the band “Gentlemen On The Road”, which offers polyphonic folk-pop.

  Before his appearance in Moers, Torsten Sträter makes a detour to the Lise-Meitner auditorium in Geldern and initiates the benefit event.

Before his appearance in Moers, Torsten Sträter makes a detour to the Lise-Meitner auditorium in Geldern and initiates the benefit event.
Photo: Ja / Knappe, Joerg (jkn)

Planning has been going on for more than two months now, and Carolin Burkhardt asked three friends for help. The four know each other through their children, who all attend the Michael School in Geldern. The women also go inline skating together. They also found open ears in the city: “After the first conversation, I was immediately in a positive mood and very optimistic,” says Rainer Niersmann, head of the tourism and culture office of the city of Geldern, which has taken over the patronage of the benefit gala. “Civil engagement is always to be welcomed, and the four women are super connected and full of power. As a city, we are happy to support Geldern and hope above all for a sold-out house and many donations for a good cause.”

Georgiana Kratz, who works for the city as a contact person for refugees, became aware of the Tabletochki organization, which takes care of children with cancer in the Ukraine, through a work colleague. “Even before the war, medical treatment was not easy,” says Georgiana Kratz. However, the situation deteriorated significantly after the attack. All proceeds will go to her.

All artists, says Frauke Kempkens, who is also involved in organizing the event, are performing free of charge. For Torsten Sträter, however, the date played the decisive role. He is currently on tour with his solo program “Schnee der Fallen auf Ceran”. On June 11th he will perform in the evening at the Enni event hall in Moers. “The way to Geldern is not far,” says Michaela Fischer and grins. Only 30 kilometers. He could stop by the auditorium of the Lise-Meitner-Gymnasium beforehand and play a kind of warm-up, she suggested to the manager. That’s why the show starts at 4 p.m. The event is called “Foundation helps”. “We are lucky that our children are doing well,” says Frauke Kempkens. “Things were not going well for the children in Ukraine before, but now the war has made everything even worse. Of course, our mothers’ hearts beat faster.”

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