I’m very pleased to welcome you here today at the Rheingoldhalle.
Does this sound familiar? You pick up your smartphone in the morning, quickly scroll through the news, and—without even realizing it—pick up a surprising amount of useless trivia.
That’s exactly what happened to me this morning. And there’s one piece of this supposedly useless knowledge that I’d like to share with you after all, because it fits so perfectly with this morning:
Do you know what day it is today? August 23.
And here’s something you might not know yet: Today is Sponge Cake Day.¹
Sponge cake. What does that have to do with you?
Well, perhaps some of you are actually thinking right now about the last summer party, the open house, or the grandparents-and-kids afternoon—and about the many cakes that were lovingly baked for those occasions.
But I think we shouldn’t underestimate the sponge cake here.
Because the sponge cake is just the base.
With time, creativity, and a lot of love, it can be transformed into something truly special: an elaborate cake with multiple layers, a delicate filling, fresh fruit, and beautiful decoration. A base with many small details that come to life only because someone took the time to create them.
And that, to me, is a wonderful metaphor for your dedication.
The sponge cake base is the foundation. It’s only through all the people who contribute something that it turns into something wonderful! It’s exactly the same in our daycare centers. Thanks to all of you, the foundation becomes something wonderful!
A bake sale, a summer festival, a helping hand at the St. Martin’s Day parade, a sewn costume, a landscaped garden, or—time and again—communication, mediation, and then an hour or two at committee meetings—these may seem like small contributions to outsiders. But for a daycare community, they are so much more: they are the ingredients from which community is built.
And that is why this reception today is a sign of appreciation. A sign that we, as a city, recognize what you do. And that we know: Much of what makes our daycare centers vibrant places of learning, play, and togetherness would not be possible without your dedication.
Today, we have about 100 women and men here as guests, all of whom are involved in very different ways.
Some serve on the city parents’ committee, some on the daycare parents’ committees, and some in support associations. They contribute in a wide variety of ways:
• They act as a liaison between the daycare center and parents,
• they listen to where the needs lie and seek out and find solutions.
• Or they haul in crates of drinks and tables for parties,
• they collect donations for new playground equipment,
• they play sports with the little ones,
• they chaperone field trips and projects,
• or they contribute their own personal skills and ideas to committee meetings.
At first glance, these are very different activities. But one thing unites them all: you give your time.
And time is one of our most precious commodities today.
Amid work, family, obligations, and an often packed daily routine, you make a conscious decision to devote time to others. Not because you have to. But because you’re convinced that a community thrives when people take responsibility for one another.
That is precisely where the special value of volunteer work lies.
And sometimes this leads to something that has an impact far beyond your own daycare center. An impressive example of this is the St. Franziskus Daycare Center in Lerchenberg.
There, a group of parents recently launched a fundraising campaign for a child at the daycare who is seriously ill. This initiative grew into a major movement of solidarity extending far beyond the daycare center and Lerchenberg; a benefit gala was organized, featuring many artists from our carnival scene, various clubs, and many other people³—and a six-figure sum was raised.
What began as the commitment of a few parents became a symbol of what a community can achieve.
Much of the parents’ work happens behind the scenes—and, unlike this gala, doesn’t make it into the daily newspaper. Much of it is invisible. Parents• who are still writing up the minutes of the committee meeting late at night,

• who, while cooking lunch at home, think about how the food at the daycare center could be improved,
• who say without making a big deal out of it: “Oh, there’s something that needs to be done. I’ll take care of it.”
It’s the many small contributions that ultimately create something great.
The beautiful thing is: children see this. They notice it.
They remember that a celebration took place. That the garden was beautiful. That someone sewed a costume for them. That an outing was made possible. That adults worked together to make something happen. And maybe they’ll also remember the delicious cake.
Above all, though, they experience something much more important: they see that people are there for one another.
Our daycare centers are far more than just childcare facilities. They are places where children have their first experiences outside the family. They learn to play together, resolve conflicts, be considerate, and develop trust.
To do this, children need reliable adults.
Day after day, our early childhood educators do impressive work. A strong daycare center also thrives on dedicated parents and supporters who contribute ideas, lend a hand, and help shape the environment.
And children observe very closely.
I see this as one of the most important messages of your commitment: Democracy does not begin at the polling place. It begins where people listen, seek solutions together, tolerate differing opinions, and take responsibility for the common good.
Anyone who gets involved in a daycare center therefore shapes far more than just the day-to-day life of a facility. They strengthen the foundation of our urban society.
This commitment deserves respect and recognition. Because we all know: Volunteering isn’t a sure thing. It takes time, energy, openness, a willingness to compromise, and sometimes patience as well. That is precisely why your dedication is so valuable. You are not only giving your time and energy; you are giving hope.
For this, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart today—also on behalf of the City Council and the entire city administration.
My thanks also go to the families and partners who support this commitment. Volunteer work often succeeds only because many people behind the scenes show understanding, take on tasks, or sacrifice time they could have spent together.
That, too, is part of the truth.
Dear guests,
at the beginning I spoke of the sponge cake base.
The sweet sponge cake base is the foundation. We owe the valuable and loving things that emerge from it to people like you.
Thank you very much for your dedication, your time, and your willingness to help shape our daycare centers—and, by extension, our urban community.
I now wish you a wonderful morning filled with good conversations, interesting encounters—and the opportunity to take center stage for once today.
Because today, the spotlight is on you.