It was that time again on May 1 and we reopened our doors for large numbers of interested visitors from noon to 6:00 pm. On a gorgeous, sunny day, visitors took advantage of the opportunity to get a closer look at Sternenbrücke and learn more about its wide range of offerings. Everything was centered around Sternenbrücke’s 20th birthday, and the varied program included several surprises.
"Open-House Day" as the Sternenbrücke children’s hospice celebrates its 20th birthday
A look back at our 2023 “Open-House Day”
At 12:00 sharp the gate was opened and guests poured in, welcomed by balloon artist Salvatore Sabbatino and colorful mix and mingle acts like Star Wars characters, stilt walkers and princesses.
At 1:00 pm the event was officially kicked off with an onstage welcome and address by foundation chairman, Peer Gent. This was followed by a greeting from Melanie Schlotzhauer, Hamburg Senator for Social Affairs, who had the following to say about Sternenbrücke: “The Senate is extremely proud to have such an institution – also as a source of inspiration – in Hamburg.”
Musical contributions delight both young and old
Next came musical contributions from the performers Annika Bruhns and Alex Avenell with hits from “Mamma Mia”, the “Hamburg Sailor’s Choir” with familiar shanties, and Rolf Zuckowski, who sang some of his most well-known songs and even took requests from the audience, delighting both young and old in the process. The stage events were rounded out with an entertaining and acrobatic performance by the school circus Schulcircus PampelMuse e.V.
Due to an illness, our long-time friend and attendant Carlo von Tiedemann was unfortunately not able to lead us through the program as planned, but model and actress Yasmina Filali and former soccer player and sports presenter Thomas Helmer filled in admirably.
The birthday celebration would of course not have been complete without a cake: So, one very special moment was the cutting of our birthday cake, which was then distributed among an enthusiastic audience.
Talks and tours arouse great interest
Away from the stage, visitors explored the premises of Sternenbrücke and learned more about the work of the children’s hospice through talks, film screenings and conversations with both our full-time and volunteer staff. Once again attracting a great deal of interest were our half-hourly tours which took guests through a special area of the hospice where families can spend extra, personal time with their child after his or her death. These tours gave our guests a chance to learn about the sensitive rituals in connection with mourning and saying final goodbyes.
The sunny weather encouraged people to explore the grounds of Sternenbrücke and the various activities on offer outside. Young guests had their faces painted, roasted marshmallows and stick-bread at our log cabin, spun the wheel of fortune and had fun with creative handicraft activities and an assortment of games as well as goal-shooting contests with goalkeepers from HSV, a professional soccer team based in Hamburg.
Various stands where the adults could learn about the therapies offered at Sternenbrücke or enjoy a variety of sweet and savory delicacies, for example provided by celebrity chef Tim Mälzer’s catering service, ensured an entertaining afternoon.
Both young and old were able to snap souvenir pictures in a “photo booth” on this enjoyable day.
Thank you
We would like to express our thanks to all the visitors for their interest, to the supporters for their invaluable assistance and to the artists for their unforgettable performances. All the proceeds from the sale of food and drinks, as well as from the many beautiful handicrafts, went to the Sternenbrücke children’s hospice, and we are extremely thankful to have so many helping hands at our side. We would again like to express our special thanks to the presenter duo of Yasmina and Thomas for helping out at such short notice. We would also like to wish Carlo von Tiedemann a speedy recovery.
In addition, we are grateful and happy that the photographers Marek Audirsch, Stephanie Ruppert and Homam Ghanem were able to capture the special moments on this day.