Summer Lunch with Hat 27.08.2025
Our traditional annual "Summer Lunch with Hat" was organized this year by DAFC member, Brigitte Lindauer-von Appen and took place in bright sunshine at the Norddeutscher Regattaverein on the Alster. The elegant society ladies of Hamburg with their wonderful hats engaged in many interesting and nice conversations. The President of the DAFC, Gabriele Rassaerts, opened the cheerful event and then gave the floor to Abigail Greenwald (Deputy US Consul General), who emphasised in her speech that the DAFC has an outstanding reputation when it comes to doing good for underprivileged children in Hamburg and supporting the transatlantic relationship.
Vivian Hecker, Vice-CEO of Abendblatt hilft e.V. presented the project "Holiday trips and leisure activities for disadvantaged children and young people", which is supported with part of the donations received today. Ms. Hecker reported that every 5th child in Hamburg is affected by poverty and that especially children and young people who can no longer live at home have never taken a vacation. For these children, most of whom live in residential group care, a trip to a holiday accommodation, for example, on the Baltic Sea, is not only relaxation, but also an important factor in building self-confidence.
After the delicious starter, Stefanie Schuldt, Vice-CEO of the Haspa Hamburg Stiftung, reported on her heart topic of foundations. Starting with the initial motives up to the foundation's establishment. Stefanie Schuldt vividly described what a foundation is and why Hamburg is considered the so-called foundation capital.
Carolin Cords, head of the Ronald McDonald House Eppendorf, gave a very moving impression of the work with the parents of seriously ill children and read a letter of thanks from a family who was housed in the facility. The son was in the isolation ward of the UKE for 217 days where he received 2 bone marrow transplants. The parents could take turns on the isolation ward and additionally take care of their little baby. The DAFC holds 2 apartment sponsorships in both Ronald McDonald houses.
We would like to thank our guest ladies for the donations and especially our sponsors, the Weinhaus Gröhl, the magazine Salon and the Flagshipstore Breuninger in Hamburg.
Our thanks also go to the caterer of the NRV as well as to all involved DAFC ladies.
DAFC with 100 children at Hagenbeck Zoo 24.07.2025
Every year on the first day of the holiday, we invite 100 playhouse children and their caregivers to visit the Hagenbeck Zoo. We met at 9:30 a.m. at the main entrance, where there was a big, joyful bustle.
The tickets for the carers and the DAFC ladies were generously donated by Tierpark Hagenbeck and were handed over by Hagenbeck Managing Director Dr. Guido Westhoff and Mrs. Sabine Vonden (Hagenbeck Foundation) personally to the DAFC HH President, Gabriele Rassaerts.
First, the elephant house was "stormed" where many of the children saw an elephant in the flesh for the first time in their lives. To the delight of the children, one of the elephants made a poop and suddenly all the children found that it stinks in the elephant house. We then quickly moved on to the outdoor enclosures where the donkeys, pampas rabbits, zebras, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, lions and many other animals were observed and admired. In the underwater world of the Arctic Ocean, it was especially exciting because the giant walruses were being fed and came very close to the window. They were greeted enthusiastically by the children with a "High Five". Afterwards we went to the Flamingo Restaurant to eat. Everyone got a big glass of apple spritzer and the hungry group got chicken nuggets with fries. After lunch, other animals were visited before we went to the large playground to play. With a small ice cream, the very nice excursion was ended.
The playhouses and their staff make an enormous contribution to supporting our society, which starts with the smallest members. Some of the children have fled through four countries and speak some words in each language. Although they are already at school age, they are not able to express themselves in one language in a comprehensible way. This makes the work of the staff incredibly difficult and the playhouses take on important tasks that should actually be done by the kindergarten or preschool.
Every time we are with the children at Hagenbeck, we realize how important our contribution as DAFC HH is, and we gain new motivation to continue to collect funds/donations for these playhouses, for example.
Cooking at the Ronald McDonald House Eppendorf 22.05.2025
DAFC-Hamburg spent an evening spoiling parents of seriously ill children in the Ronald McDonald House Eppendorf. The great music from the band Evermore and the dinner gave everyone a few moments of relaxation.
Farewell meeting with US GC Jason Chue 19.05.2025
A group of DAFC members went to visit the departing US GC Jason Chue at the US Consulate. As a thank you the DAFC gave him a painting from the artist Heinke Böhnert (DAFC) . The US GK Jason Chue thanked the club for good work charitable activities. He was pleased to receive the painting as a reminder of his good time in Hamburg.
32nd DAFC Bridge Tournament at Bobby Reich 7th April 25
On a beautiful day, the 32nd DAFC Bridge Tournament took place at Bobby Reich on the Alster. 48 players came to support the visit to Hagenbeck Zoo of the needy children from our "Playhouses".
Cooking at the Ronald McDonald House Eppendorf 27.02.25
With great enthusiasm, we prepared again a three course dinner for the families living temporarily in the Ronald McDonald House in Hamburg-Eppendorf. This house gives parents (and siblings) a home from home while their severely ill children are treated in the University Clinic of Eppendorf. It is always a very moving evening to listen to the stories of the parents, to spoil them with a delicious meal and to distract them from their worries for a short time.
Pop up Store 2024 Hanseviertel
The opening with US GK Jason Chue, Center Manager Hanseviertel Lars Sammann and DAFC President Gabriele Rassaerts. On three weekends in November, the Hanseviertel Hamburg hosted us. Thanks to the generous donations and our wonderful customers, we were once again able to raise a large sum that we can make available to “our” playhouses and various projects for children in need in Hamburg.
31st DAFC charity bridge tournament at the Falkenstein Golf Club 30.9.2024
58 ladies and gentlemen played for a good cause. Dr. Frank Stehr from the NCL Foundation spoke about childhood dementia, which affects around 700 children in Germany. Funds are urgently needed for further research into this niche disease. Part of the donations received at the tournament will go to the NCL Foundation and to our children's homes. It was a very successful afternoon. The tournament will take place at Bobby Reich in April 2025.
US Consul General at the Kennedy House Children's Center
The US Consul General Jason Chue visited the Kennedy House Children's Center in Hamburg-Harburg on 24.09.24.
GK Chue inquired about the origins of the Kennedy House, which was founded by American and German ladies of the DAFC. The evening before the foundation stone of the children's center was laid, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was spontaneously decided, in memory of him and thanks to the good connection to the US Consulate General, to name the playhouse after him. During a tour of the house, the possibilities for further education and activities in the indoor and outdoor areas were explained.
DAFC Hamburg continues to support the children's center today under the current director Katharina Mittag and the former director Dr. Ann-Kathrin Jobst, who is still active.
It was a very relaxed, interesting and friendly visit, during which everyone involved had a lively conversation and the long-standing relationship with the US Consulate General was strengthened once again.
At the end, the Consul General presented the Director of the Kennedy House and the President of the DAFC each with a pendant from the United States Capitol Historical Society as well as some small American recipe books.
Charity Lunch with Hat 2024
Today was the day again. Our traditional and annual “Charity Lunch with Hat” took place in bright sunshine at the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein NRV @nrv.1868. The ladies of the Hamburg society and our club ladies once again exchanged elegant and wonderfully “sheltered” ideas in many interesting and nice conversations.
In her opening speech, our new President Gabriele Rassaerts thanked our “past” President Dorothee Hagen for more than 10 years at our helm and especially for the introduction of the 'Charity Lunch with Hat' at the NRV.
In her speech, US Deputy Consul General Abigail Greenwald emphasized the importance of transatlantic relations and described the DAFC as a good example of the friendship between America and Germany.
Part of the donations collected today will go to the Hippotherapy project, which was impressively presented by Ms. Sabine Tesche @Abendblatt and can be an important component in the treatment of disabled children.
After the appetizer, the author Ildikó von Küthy was interviewed by our club member Marina Wendt. Ms. von Kürthy wore a particularly outlandish hat and often made us laugh with her refreshing, authentic answers. She donated a large number of her books to us, which we sold on site and which were signed by Ms. von Kürthy afterwards. Thank you very much.
The journalist Jiffer Bourguignon @AmerikaUebersetzt, just back from the USA, told us about her impressions of the US election campaign and the rapid change in dynamics from mid-June to mid-August following the nomination of Kamala Harris.
We would like to thank our sponsors.
To Weinhandlung Gröhl for the delicious welcome sparkling wine, to Anne Petersen for the exclusive SALON magazine and to Patryzja Janik @organic.house.calm for the extraordinary cosmetic products from Brillant Lifestyle GmbH.
A big thank you goes to our guests and speakers, the wonderful “Ladies with Hat”, whose generous donations once again this year enable us to support many important and necessary social projects.
The 'Charity Lunch with Hat' has become an integral part of our work and brings us a great deal of joy.
Christine Odermann and Jutta Paul have planned, organized and carried out this unforgettable day for us with a great deal of commitment and hard work. Thank you!!!
Visit with over 100 playhouse children at Hagenbeck on 22.07.24
Every year the DAFC invites children from our playhouses to Hagenbeck.
Cooking at the Ronald McDonald House Eppendorf 05.06.24
DAFC Hamburg has taken on a financial sponsorship for one apartment each in RMD Eppendorf and RMD Altona. In addition, we support the seriously ill children and their families with regular cooking evenings, where we prepare an evening meal for the parents/siblings living there temporarily and listen to the concerns of our “guests”. Our aim is to take a moment away from the worries and suffering and, if possible, to bring a little smile.
