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Rescuers need help: Maiko Alpers on the difficult situation at DLRG Geretsried

2020-12-02T19:22:03.988Z


Members resign and donations are rarely received due to a lack of campaigns: The DLRG is in a difficult situation. And another problem lurks around the corner.


Members resign and donations are rarely received due to a lack of campaigns: The DLRG is in a difficult situation.

And another problem lurks around the corner.

Geretsried -

The local association of the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) in Geretsried is not having an easy time of it at the moment.

These days, a call for donations landed in the mailboxes with which the association asks for support.

In an interview, the chairman Maiko Alpers explains what it is all about.

Mr. Alpers, is the local association using new means to collect donations?

Maiko Alpers

: It's not entirely new.

We regularly try to run a fundraiser, but we don't make it every year.

That is a great logistical effort.

We do everything alone to save money.

One weekend I was out all day myself to post the letters.

We started in the south of the city and are working our way north.

This year you need help even more urgently than usual. Why?

Maiko Alpers

: Corona broke all of our income.

We finance ourselves through membership fees, swimming courses and donations.

Since the indoor pool has to be closed in spring and now again, we cannot give swimming courses this year.

We do not gain any new members as a result.

Even more: every week I catch a drop in the mailbox of people who say: No indoor swimming pool, no service, no money.

How many members does the DLRG currently have?

Maiko Alpers

: In Geretsried there are 525 members.

Did you have to cancel all swimming lessons?

Maiko Alpers

: We were able to complete a swimming course in spring, the second of a total of three had to be canceled due to Corona.

We were just able to pull through that in autumn, then the second lockdown came.

The financial is one thing, but what is much worse is that the children couldn't learn to swim for a whole year.

We are now all putting off until next year, but even then we do not know whether we can give the courses.

Not just because of Corona.

We do not know whether we will get the occupancy times in the new indoor pool and whether we can afford them.

The new indoor swimming pool on Adalbert-Stifter-Straße is due to open in spring next year.

The clubs are threatened with a user fee, from which they, like all sports clubs in Geretsried, have been exempted so far.

The DLRG and the other water sports enthusiasts handed over a petition to the mayor in October.

Have you heard anything new since then?

Maiko Alpers

: No, unfortunately not yet.

You usually also take donations with the Santa Claus service, and you are represented at the city's Christmas market every year.

Maiko Alpers

: Neither is possible this year.

We cannot afford it under the given conditions.

What does the DLRG say on the expenditure side?

Maiko Alpers

: It should be clear to everyone that a car needs fuel.

It's the same with a boat.

And of course our insurance will continue to run.

Last year we earned 14,000 euros, of which 1,000 euros were left over.

With the money we actually wanted to paint our hall this year, we have now postponed that until next year.

Although, as I said, we don't yet know how much we will have to pay in the new indoor pool.

How can you be supported?

Maiko Alpers

: Not only donations help us, but membership too.

And why should one support the DLRG?

Maiko Alpers

: It is extremely important that every child learns to swim.

We don't want to make that dependent on how well off a family is, but rather offer courses on reasonable terms.

I also believe that we are doing good youth work.

We usually have 120 children in training on Mondays and another 100 on Thursdays.

Then there is the voluntary water rescue.

How many missions did you have this year?

Maiko Alpers

: It was 65 to 70 missions.

90 percent of them were at Lake Starnberg, where a lot of people stayed because they couldn't go abroad.

In previous years, half of our missions were on the Isar, but you can now clearly see that mass tourism no longer takes place there since the boating ordinance came into force.

Finally, what would you say: How is the Geretsrieder DLRG currently doing?

Maiko Alpers

: Mediocre.

We're standing in front of a closed indoor swimming pool again, but we're still alive.

We will certainly not give up.

I hope it continues.

We look forward to the decision on how the new indoor swimming pool will continue next year.

info

If you want to donate to the DLRG Geretsried, you can do so using the account with the IBAN D E68 70 05 43 06 00 55 15 65 66.

For more information, call +49 81 71/9 06 15 86 or send an email to info@geretsried.dlrg.de

sw

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-12-02

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