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Wine bottles marked by the flood disaster: »Original Muddy«
Photo: BERND LAUTER / AFP
Under the motto "Flood Wine", an aid campaign for wineries and restaurants in the disaster area on the Ahr brought in more than 2.5 million euros by Thursday.
The campaign is an initiative of the Ahrwein Association with local restaurateurs.
Wine marked by the flood can be bought.
"The winemakers left the wine bottles as they were found - originally muddy," announced the association.
Each individual bottle is therefore unique and limited.
The Ahr Valley is known for its Pinot Noir, which grows along the steep slopes of the valley.
The regional economy is dependent on viticulture and the tourists who travel there.
"Flutwein" is one of several initiatives for the wine-growing region, which was hard hit by the flash flood on July 14th.
Another campaign is the »solidAHRität«, for which wine donated was packed in boxes on Thursday in Bodenheim am Rhein.
According to the German Wine Institute, vintners and wine merchants from Germany, France, Luxembourg, South Tyrol, Greece, Austria and South Africa have donated around 200,000 bottles of wine, which are now being packed into surprise packages of six bottles each by volunteers.
DRK opens catering center
Helpers of the German Red Cross (DRK) are currently cooking up to 10,000 warm meals a day for those affected by the flood disaster in the Ahr valley.
For this purpose, a large catering center has been put into operation in the county of Grafschaft, said a spokeswoman for the DRK.
From there, the food will be delivered and distributed to around 15 distribution points in the Ahrweiler district.
"People are very grateful for that," said the spokeswoman.
110 helpers would start cooking the meals at 2 a.m.
"You cook three runs to fill up the food in the morning," said the spokeswoman.
In addition, up to 10,000 packed lunches would be packed, which would be distributed with the meal.
70 other helpers take care of the delivery of meals.
There are fixed locations for issuing, for example, in various parts of the city of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.
In total, more than 1,400 DRK helpers from the federal territory in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia are still on duty - most of them on a voluntary basis.
So far, 32 million euros in donations have been received nationwide - money that, according to the spokeswoman, also flows into the catering center.
The DRK has also made three mobile medical practices available in the Ahr Valley.
"You are still very well received," said the spokeswoman.
In addition, the DRK distributes up to 140,000 liters of drinking water every day in the affected areas on the Ahr.
In addition, numerous generator sets and building dryers are provided and hygiene items are distributed.
The commissioning of a sewage treatment plant is also planned, it said.
wit / dpa / AFP