International Friendship Festival June 2023

On 16 June 2023, in splendid summer weather, President Charlotte Weitbrecht welcomed nearly 90 guests to our International Friendship Evening at the Restaurant Zum Herrenhaus at Golf Club Hof Hausen.  This Friendship Evening has traditionally been the highlight of our fundraising marathon!

Mr Jörg Heydecke, founder of the ME/CFS Research Foundation for which our donation is designated, was very grateful for the generous donation of € 15.310. This collection was the result of numerous generous contributions from our club friends and third parties. He came from Hamburg to express his thanks to us personally.

He began his thank you speech by showing a short film that vividly explained to all the guests what ME/CFS means to those affected by it. He was also able to report on hopeful research approaches in the field of this disease. At the Charité, for example, under the direction of Professor Carmen Scheibenbogen, a project is being launched to research biomarkers which can be used to diagnose the disease so that treatment can be recognised as such by the social services and treatments can be applied at an early stage. Our donation will be used precisely for this essential research project. Mr Heydecke extended a greeting and a warm thanks from Prof. Dr Scheibenbogen.

After being provided this positive perspective, the guests enjoyed the evening with excellent food and the lively music of the band, The Swinging Angels, which attracted many club friends and guests to the dance floor.