The “Summer Night of the Roses” on Saturday 5th July in the spa gardens of Bad Neuenahr, was the official starting signal by UNICEF and the town of Bad-Neuenahr-Ahrweiler for the celebrations in the UNICEF jubilee town Bad-Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. Whilst dance and entertainment were on the agenda as the “The Weather Girls” got the party started in the lavishly decorated gardens and the new “Dame der Rose” was crowned, the 50th birthday of UNICEF, was the only theme of the open air party.
The same applied for the interviews by the host of the show, Gregor Glöckner. Among others he spoke to Marie-Luise Marjan, better known as Mother Beimer from the television soap opera Lindenstrasse. Besides the actress there were countless other personalities from UNICEF in the spa gardens of Bad Neuenahr, such as Reinhard Schlagintweit, the Chairman of the German UNICEF Committee. Reinhard Schlagintweit stressed that “in order to help children in need, UNICEF needs friends”. Schlagintweit went on to emphasize that “the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is a town full of friends of UNICEF. I am happy that the citizens and guests of our jubilee town will accompany us during the course of the next twelve months”.
The mayor, Dr. Hans-Ulrich Tappe, also considered the novelty of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler as the first and only UNICEF jubilee town in Germany, a great honour. Dr. Tappe said, “especially our town, which has been so distinctly blessed by water, is very happy to provide UNICEF with any support it needs, particularly in connection with the “United Nations Year of Drinking Water”. It is both an honour and an obligation to us. All the guests in our town will feel the spirit of UNICEF”.
Nina Ruge, a famous german television presenter and the patron of the UNICEF jubilee town Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, was also enthusiastic and said, “I would like to thank all of you in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler on the behalf of UNICEF for the commitment that you have shown to the Children’s Fund”. The television show host was referring to the efforts of the people and the activities which had been organized by the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of UNICEF Germany. Similarly to UNICEF representative Nina Ruge, countless citizens and children in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler will also support the Children’ Fund.
On the opening evening of the jubilee celebrations, UNICEF was also the winner on the roulette tables of the Bad Neuenahr Casino. The profits were also donated to the Children’s Fund. A further treat for the visitors to the “Summer Night of the Roses” was that the tickets also granted them free entry to the casino during the festival weekend.

The Roses of the Summer Night continued to blossom for UNICEF after the opening evening, delighting the people – and filling the collection box with donations. On the next Sunday, the “Dame der Rose” offered the passers-by on the spa promenade of Bad Neuenahr Roses from the Decoration of the Summernight in the spa gardens – and at the same time collected donations for the Children’s Fund.

On the occasion of the 50th birthday of UNICEF Germany and the United Nations International Year of Drinking Water, the cooperation between UNICEF and the “health oasis” Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler seems quite obvious. During UNICEF’s jubilee year, the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, a town which has been so distinctly blessed by water, will do its very best to support the United Nations Children’s Fund. The TV show host Nina Ruge also said, “with your commitment in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, towards UNICEF, you will generate even more love and warmth. Together with the citizens of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler and of the region, and the many guests who come here to relax, you are helping those who do not have any access to clean drinking water”. She went on to say that, for her, working with UNICEF was something that went without saying, particularly in view of the developments in Iraq, where UNICEF also has its aid workers in the field helping the population. Ms. Ruge took the opportunity to already thank all of those who would also be active for UNICEF in the future.

In the opinion of all those involved, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, as the town of healing water and thermal springs on the river Ahr and as the source of the world-famous “Queen of Tablewaters”, Apollinaris, is the ideal partner to sensitise the people in the town and the region towards the UNICEF aid projects that will benefit suffering children throughout the whole world and provide them with water. “Two million children die throughout the world because they have no access to clean drinking water”, said the representative of UNICEF, Schlagintweit, and pointed out several current aid projects, for example in Iraq, where 150 to 200 UNICEF aid workers are still operating. Particularly in this case, help from Bad Neuenahr will be very helpful.