In what has become a good tradition, volunteers from Kevelaer recently met for a convivial "evening for the clubs". And thanks to renewable energies, they received a "tailwind" for their projects. The "Energy for Kevelaer" fund once again distributed 50,000 euros this year. It supports 71 charitable projects and initiatives based in Kevelaer. This donation amount is provided by the fund donors Bürgerwind Kevelaer and Bürgerenergie Schwarzbruch-Nord, NiersEnergie and Stadtwerke Kevelaer. In addition to Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler, representatives of the four donors decided on the distribution of the money among the applicants. Music, sports and shooting clubs, for example, will now receive a donation. Support associations from kindergartens and elementary school will also benefit from the wind turbines, as will local heritage associations, the carnival youth, the theater choir and the ReparierBar. Events, new acquisitions and the modernization of clubhouses are supported.
Direct participation
"The voluntary work carried out in the associations helps the community of our city. It is only because so many people get involved, have ideas and develop projects that we are able to support them financially. This work is very valuable and deserves our support," Mayor Dr. Dominik Pichler is convinced and quotes from the EhrenamtAltas 2024: "In the district of Kleve, 63% of residents volunteer and perform an average of 239 volunteer hours per person. It's great that we can give them a boost in Kevelaer with the wind turbines!" Ursula Baumgärtner from BW Kevelaer adds: "What the government is now putting into law is something we have been doing in Kevelaer for a long time: direct participation by residents in the proceeds from the Kevelaer wind farms through the 'Energy for Kevelaer' fund. Every year, we are delighted to experience the diverse world of Kevelaer's associations at the 'Evening for the Associations' in this context." "With this evening, we want to give volunteering a special stage and give those involved the opportunity to exchange ideas in an informal setting. The presentation of the individual clubs and sponsored projects may provide an incentive for cooperation or give rise to new ideas," hopes Hans-Josef Thönnissen, Operations Manager of Stadtwerke Kevelaer and Managing Director of NiersEnergie. "Who knows, maybe an application next year can be traced back to this evening."
Impressive donation pot
Many people living in Kevelaer are unaware that the wind turbines in Twisteden Rietweyen and in Kevelaer Schwarzbruch generate half of Kevelaer's total electricity requirements in purely mathematical terms. They produce around 60 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year. Stadtwerke Kevelaer is providing 20,000 euros and NiersEnergie 10,000 euros on the basis of contractual obligations regarding participation in the plants. Thanks to the voluntary commitment of the wind farm operators BW Kevelaer and Bürgerenergie Schwarzbruch-Nord, the fund provides an impressive "donation pot" of 50,000 euros per year. This means that the people of Kevelaer benefit twice over from the "clean electricity" generated by wind energy. Because one thing is important to all fund donors: "The energy transition only works as a joint project!"
The "Energy for Kevelaer" fund is supporting 71 applications this year. The applications are as diverse as the club landscape in Kevelaer: the spectrum ranges from uniform clothing to music systems and tarpaulins to training materials. The renovation and redesign of the clubhouse and the circus project will receive a grant, as will the energy-saving conversion of the Christmas lights and the restoration of a tombstone, to name just a few projects.
Hans-Josef Thönnissen explains the creation of the "Energy for Kevelaer" fund at the "Evening for the clubs".
Mayor Dr. Pichler introduces the Kevelaerer Männer-Gesang-Verein, which receives a donation from the fund.
Elli Kisters hands over the donation pledge to the representatives of the Overberg Primary School Winnekendonk support association on behalf of Bürgerenergie Schwarzbruch Nord.
The musicians of the Kevelaer Music Association's brass band rounded off the "Evening for the Clubs" in the Pax Christi Forum with music.