Thanksgiving Dinner 2018 in Munich

Thanksgiving Dinner 2018 in Munich

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Global H2O Germany Hosts 9^th Annual Thanksgiving Fundraiser in Munich

Global H2O Germany held its 9^th annual Thanksgiving fundraising dinner in November, once again raising enough money to fund a complete well in Africa. According to Anke Humphrey, who organized the gala event, the money will be put to use quickly early next year when a team from Germany travels to Africa to supervise construction of a series of wells.

The Global H2O team welcomed a full house of about 80 guests, who were entertained during the evening by the The Isar String Band, and local duo that specializes in bluegrass, folk and Appalachian music. Global H2O co-founder James Wilde flew in for the event to address the guests, summarize GH2O’s activities for the year, and provide a vision of our activities for the coming year.

Once again, Thanksgiving dinner was sponsored by Tantris Restaurant, Munich’s premiere gourmet restaurant that justifiably bears two Michelin stars.

At the Thanksgiving dinner, several guests were honored who have contributed to our success in recent years.

Markus Frank, a Munich-native and professional chef, raised €3000 for Global H2O several years ago and traveled to Africa to supervise the drilling of a well. He returned to Munich as a transformed person after witnessing both the need for creating access to clean water in Africa, as well as experiencing first-hand the friendliness and hospitality of the people who benefit from our work.

Markus now lives and works in Switzerland, where he is a chef at the Hotel Kurhaus Bergün in the Kanton of Graubünden. Last summer, the hotel staff held a garden party to raise funds for Global H2O. The hotel owners then generously doubled the amount, bringing the total to €1400. For his continued support of Global H2O, now in his adopted country of Switzerland, the Team thanked Markus and presented him with an official Global H2O Certificate of Appreciation.

Boris Terwey organized the Thanksgiving attendance of 12 co-workers from his company Sapient. Boris is an unconventional fundraiser. To raise money for Global H2O in 2018, Boris raced an old car the entire Baltic Sea through NINE countries in the middle of the darkness of the Scandinavian winter. Together with his team Champagne Supernova, Boris successfully completed the 2018 Baltic Sea Circle Rally, raising enough funds to build one turn-key well in Africa. Together with some friends, Boris and his wife Anita will travel to Uganda in February 2019 at their own expense to witness the fruits of these fundraising efforts.

For his creative fundraising ideas, his friendship, and his ability to race a car in snow, the Global H2O Team thanked Boris and presented him with an official Global H2O Certificate of Appreciation.

Florian Spitta has catered every Thanksgiving Dinner in Munich since our first dinner in 2010. A friend of our sponsors Sabine and Felix Eichbauer, Florian coordinates dinner for 80 guests with the kitchen and takes care of the logistics. There is probably no other Bavarian who knows more about American Thanksgiving cooking than Florian! He recently realized a dream when he opened his own restaurant called Ludwig8, located coincidentally at Ludwigstrasse 8.

For his continued voluntary support of Global H2O, the Team presented Florian with an official Global H2O Certificate of Appreciation.

Sabine and Felix Eichbauer first met Jamie Wilde while kite-surfing in Brazil over 10 years ago. As founding members of our German organization, Sabine and Felix have been part of Global H2O Germany since Day One. In 2012, the couple joined Jamie Wilde and German Country Manager David Humphrey on a journey to Uganda to supervise and document the construction of a series of wells for which they had raised funds. Like many of the professional people who support us, the Eichbauers realized how the value of their profession – in their case the gourmet restaurant business — could benefit Global H2O by sponsoring an annual Thanksgiving dinner. After nine years of fine Thanksgiving dining, we have built enough wells with the proceeds to provide access to clean water for nearly 20,000 people.

For their extremely generous, continued support of Global H2O, the Team thanked Sabine and Felix Eichbauer and presented them with an official Global H2O Certificate of Appreciation.