Ferencz Olivier

300 Guests and more than 200.000 Euro donations

Handover of painting. From left to right : Ferencz Olivier, Bettina Eiden, René Obermann and Maybritt Illner, Dunja Hayali, Father Dr. Picken and Mr. and Mrs. Asbeck.

Here the artist Ferencz Olivier, in an interview with the ZDF-presenter Dunja Hayali, describes his work “The Priest” and explains what has inspired him to this work and his donation.

The 6th charity of the Civic Trust Rheinviertel. In connection with a wonderful and clear view on their neighbourhood the  Civic Trust Rheinviertel celebrated their 6th  charity ball on the Petersberg. Almost 300 guests experienced a festivity of a special kind.” The Civic Trust Rheinviertel is not merely an idea, but it is the good heart of the people here!”. This sentence of the Trust´s founder Dean  Dr. Wolfgang Picken became reality on this evening in a special way.

The guests made a revenue of 200.00€ possible. “This is a great cornerstone for the extension of the Sonja-Kill-Kindergarten, a three-group-facility in which handicapped and non-handicapped children can be fostered together.” said Dean Dr. Picken. With a donation for the entire interior fitting, Mr. and Mrs. Asbeck laid a significant foundation for the modification of the Sonja-Kill-Kindergarten of the Holy Cross into an integrative kindergarten.

Many guests followed their example and showed themselves to be very charitable, so that a record revenue came together.

On the foundation ball in the Petersberg Grand Hotel, every guest had a picture at his seat that had been drawn by a kindergarten-child. These pictures could be bought. Afterwards a model of the building was papered with these “stones”. The micro-house showed the inclusive kindergarten that the Civic Trust Rheinviertel wants to establish for 1.5 million Euros.

“It is going to be the first integrative kindergarten for under-three-year-olds in the city of Bonn – for 45 children, twelve of them handicapped.” said Dean Wolfgang Picken, Founder and head of the trust. There was great happiness among the guests when entrepreneur Frank Asbeck proclaimed that he would donate the entire interior fitting. A larger sum was contributed from a heritage.

ZDF-TV presenter Dunja Hayali had offered her patronage for the charity ball. “I like to support the idea to establish an integrative kindergarten. I know how important this is and how much money it takes.” Hayali was on the Petersberg for the first time and enjoyed the fantastic view at sunset. “This is an exhilarating view. I hope that the guests will be quickened by it in their readiness to make a donation.”

The visitors were put in the right mood by the singer Kathy Kelly. After a culinary duet of brown trout with cider-mousse and Angus-slices  with Barolo-gravy and delicious desserts, Picken could unveil the painting. The renowned artist Ferencz Olivier donated his painting “The Priest”  to the Trust. It shows a cleric from behind who is walking into the light. Olivier also produced a high-value limited print edition of this painting.

A quarter of the revenue also goes to the Trust. “This here appeals to me. It is a successful symbiosis of the trust, the church and the economy. I times of  scarce funds the trust has accepted the challenge to uphold public welfare.” Valuable prices could be won in a raffle.