Registration Deadline is May 29, 2012.

60,000 WOMEN IN GERMANY ARE DIAGNOSED EVERY YEAR WITH BREAST CANCER
MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND JOIN THE FIGHT
KOMEN Race for the Cure®

AIWCC
“TEAM PINK”
Cologne Inaugural Event
5km Run/2km Walk
Saturday, June 16, 2012
1:00 pm
Cologne Tanzbrunnen

What are we running for on June 16?
To support the on-going efforts of Susan G. Komen, a non-profit organization that assists those affected with breast cancer and seeks to better breast cancer education and screening in Germany.

What is “TEAM PINK”?
“TEAM PINK” is the name of the AIWCC sponsored team we are building in recognition
of Cologne’s first annual Race for the Cure. We at “TEAM PINK” are encouraging YOU to join us along with babies, kids, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors to contribute to this worthwhile cause.

Why should I run?
To raise funds as well as public awareness about this disease and to give those affected the courage and strength to fight.

Who can run?
Men, women, children and seniors! Everyone can run and we are encouraging YOU to make this day a FAMILY EVENT. Become a part of the “TEAM PINK” experience - share the energy, joy and emotion of this event! Leashed dogs welcomed!

Where does my money go?
All monies raised go directly to finance model projects here in the Cologne area. Critical information on how to better manage one’s
health, improving quality of life and offering
group support programs are a few of the areas where your monies will be directed.

How do I register?
Registration is easy! Send an email to teampink@aiwccologne.org to become a part of “TEAM PINK” as we create our own dynamic movement! All participants receive a T-shirt.

Registration Deadline is May 29, 2012.

“TEAM PINK” Minimum Donation: 12€
Children 7-14 years of age: 10€
Children under 6: Free
Symbolic runner: 20€ incl. T-shirt

The Amerika Haus e.V. NRW cordially invites to the concerts of outstanding American musicians performing at this year’s Schumannfest in Düsseldorf.

On Thursday, May 24, the Emerson String Quartet will join the Transatlantische Festouvertüre. Having been established more than thirty years ago, the string quartet has released more than 20 records and was awarded nine Grammy® Awards.

The famous pianist Tzimon Barto will present his Wunder aus Eigensinn on Friday, May 25. He is considered the leading pianist of his generation, having performed with nearly every major orchestra, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic.

On Whitsunday, the Bundesjazzorchester under the direction of Jiggs Whigham along with the Baltic Youth Philharmonic will arrange an evening in the tradition of classic jazz. Gaining fame as a solo trombonist featured by Ray McKinley, Jiggs Whigham contributed to several studio and Broadway engagements in New York. He then moved to Germany, where he was named Professor and the Head of the Jazz Department at Collogne University College of Music in 1979. In 1995 he was also named “Professor for Life” and head of the Jazz Popular Music Department at the College of Music in Berlin.

In setting up the first Schumannfest in 1981 the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft Düsseldorf laid the foundation for a series of honorable festivals. Biennielly, international musicians as well as promising newcomers participate jointly and in so doing generate a creative program.

Welcome Words at the opening concert: Consul General Janice G. Weiner

Registration:
•    A contingent of reduced tickets (15% off) is at the Amerika Haus e.V. NRW's disposal
•    Due to the limited number of seats, registrations will be handled on a first come first served basis.
•    When registering for the event, please let us know which concert you would like to attend and how many tickets you would like to order. To order the exclusive Amerika Haus e.V. NRW's tickets, please name the subject of your e-mail "Amerika Haus" and send it tofestivalbuero@schumannfest.de and copy info@amerikahaus-nrw.de in.

You are invited to join our charity, German-American Friends Niederrhein, in celebrating their 30^th anniversary!

The celebration will be held in the Stadthistorischen Museum in Duisburg, a museum rich in local history, which is particularly significant in this Mercator Year honoring the 500^th Birthday of Duisburg’s famous son, cartographer Gerhard Mercator.

The event will include a tour of the Mercator Exhibit – come learn how Mercator’s work contributed to the international world as we know it today!

For more information and to register, please click here.

For this Private Sale event we have a special group offer including:

Maasmechelen Village gift card worth €25

Private coach transfer to Maasmechelen Village 

Price: € 25 per person with a minimum of 30 people.

Reservations need to be made before May 18th. 

For more information or TO MAKE A RESERVATION, please contact
Leentje Verlinden on Lverlinden@ValueRetail.com before 18 May 2012.

The American International Women's Club in Cologne invites AWCD members to join them for the Komen Race for the Cure.

60,000 WOMEN
IN GERMANY ARE DIAGNOSED EVERY YEAR WITH
BREAST CANCER

MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND JOIN THE FIGHT

KOMEN Race for the Cure®
AIWCC
“TEAM PINK”

Cologne Inaugural Event
5km Run/2km Walk
Saturday, June 16, 2012
1:00 pm
Cologne Tanzbrunnen

What are we running for on June 16?
To support the on-going efforts of Susan G. Komen, a non-profit organization that assists those affected with breast cancer and seeks to better breast cancer education and screening in Germany.

What is “TEAM PINK”?
“TEAM PINK” is the name of the AIWCC sponsored team we are building in recognition of Cologne’s first annual Race for the Cure. We at “TEAM PINK” are encouraging YOU to join us along with babies, kids, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors to contribute to this worthwhile cause.

Why should I run?
To raise funds as well as public awareness about this disease and to give those affected the courage and strength to fight.

Who can run?
Men, women, children and seniors! Everyone can run and we are encouraging YOU to make this day a FAMILY EVENT. Become a part of the “TEAM PINK” experience - share the energy, joy and emotion of this event! Leashed dogs welcomed!

Where does my money go?
All monies raised go directly to finance model projects here in the Cologne area. Critical information on how to better manage one’s
health, improving quality of life and offering group support programs are 
a few of the areas where your monies will be directed.

How do I register?
Registration is easy! Send an email to teampink@aiwccologne.org to become a part of “TEAM PINK” as we create our own dynamic movement! All participants receive a T-shirt.

Deadline is May 29, 2012.

“TEAM PINK” Minimum Donation: 12€
Children 7-14 years of age: 10€
Children under 6: Free
Symbolic runner: 20€ incl. T-shirt

The dues for the 2012 - 2013 club year (June 1, 2012 - May 31, 2013) are 80 euro. 

Any member who would like to request a reduced membership arrangement, please contact the Membership Chair at membership@awcduesseldorf.org.

As always, registration is just a few computer keystrokes away, at FAWCO Military and Overseas Voter Services (https://fawco.overseasvotefoundation.org/vote/home.htm). Register now, and urge other Americans to do the same! 

And remember that FAWCO’s partner, the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) urges voters not only to register but also to check their status with their local election official. 

Progress on the voting rights of American citizens born overseas

If your child is a U.S. citizen who was born overseas but never established residency in the U.S. as an adult, his or her voting rights vary by state. They depend on the laws of the state from which you (the parent) vote in from abroad or live in now.

The good news is that list of states that explicitly permit “citizen children” to vote is growing. Now the honor roll comprises 22 states, plus the District of Columbia: AZ, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, HI, IL, IA, MA, MI, NE, NH, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, RI, TN, WA, WV, WI. 

If you are registering “citizen children”, urge them to provide explanatory information showing their connection (ties) to their state and include further documented evidence with their applications if possible. In addition, in the “Additional Information” section of the application, they should give specifics of their situation; here’s an example:

“I am a U.S. citizen who has never lived in the U.S. My U.S. parent [YOUR PARENT'S NAME] is eligible to vote in [YOUR STATE NAME], and I have used the same voting residence claimed by my U.S. parent in [YOUR STATE NAME].”

We still need to fight for equal voting rights for all citizens (that’s why we support UMOVA, which ensures them – see below). Right not, however, no matter whether the state explicitly allows citizen children to vote, explicitly forbids it (such as VA) or has unclear status, every citizen should try to register. There’s nothing wrong with it, and the responses of different local election officials vary. 

In short, always ask – it’s the only way anyone will say “yes”!

(see FAWCO web site for full article: http://www.fawco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1921:voting-rights-for-us-citizen-children-born-abroad&catid=110:us-voting-from-overseas&Itemid=343) 

Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act (UMOVA) progressing through state legislatures  

After a 2-year drafting process, the Uniform Law Commission unanimously approved the landmark act in 2010. Having been endorsed by the American Bar Association (as well as supported throughout by FAWCO), UMOVA is making its way through state legislatures and changing the way military and overseas voters will vote in the 2012 election.

As things now stand, UMOVA has been enacted in 6 states (CO, NE, NC, ND, OK, UT), and introduced in at least one house in 7 more (CT, DC, HI, IL, ME, SD, TN). In addition, some other states already include some of its provisions in their own laws.

Encourage your state government to act, if it has not already done so.

(see FAWCO web site for full article: http://www.fawco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1765:uniform-military-and-overseas-voters-act-umova-progressing-through-state-houses&catid=233&Itemid=200206)

We have and had some US citizens already in our team (some teachers, others working in advertising). From them we know that most of them did not expect to find a softball team here in Germany when they moved to Duesseldorf. Most simply did not know, however they were even more excited to learn that they could still or again play some ball.

Our team is pretty international with players from the US, Mexico, Russia, Egypt, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and Germany have joined us for games in the past.

Perhaps you or know people who would like to take the opportunity to join our club. Anybody interested can easily contact me via mail.

Kind regards and all the best to your club,

Harald Kluth
Düsseldorf Bandits

harald.kluth@ogilvy.com 

ddorfbandits@aol.de

https://www.facebook.com/pages/D%C3%BCsseldorf-Bandits-Mixed-Softball/138190426251040

http://www.baseball-duesseldorf.de/

FAWCO has partnered with the Overseas Voter Foundation (OVF) to provide a single solution for US citizens living overseas to register.  For information about this service, please visit the  FAWCO homepage.  You can then register and request a ballot simply by clicking the FAWCO-OVF button on the left hand side of the page.

By clicking on the FAWCO-OVF button, one will be able to:

1.  Register to vote and request a ballot using the most advanced secure technology.

2.  Receive state specific information about eligibility and deadlines.

3.  Request an Emergency Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot if one receives a ballot late.

4.  Have access to contact information for their local election official.

Go for it... right now!  Register to vote!!

We were able to collect so many items for charity, that Barbara Bühling had a difficult time finding space for herself in her own car.  So a big thanks to Barbara for volunteering to transport all of those donated goods.

The food was wonderful and the sparkling wine wasn't bad either.

If you missed out on today, not to worry, we will be planning more events.  So we are looking forward to seeing you next time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is also important to note that it is a criminal offense for someone to drive on German roads without a valid license and may also later result in a German driver's license not being granted as well as their insurance company not paying their accident claims or the driver being required to reimburse the insurance company a portion of any third-party claims they pay. 

Please include this information so your application is processed correctly!