U.S. Army Europe announces Annual KONTAKT Award winners

By U.S. Army Europe, Public Affairs OfficeApril 11, 2008

U.S. Army Europe announces Annual KONTAKT Award winners
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HEIDELBERG, Germany (April 11, 2008) - U.S. Army, Europe honors KONTAKT groups and individuals for their outstanding contributions to the German-American Friendship Program OUTREACH-Germany with the announcement today of winners in the USAREUR 2007 Awards Competition.

The competition salutes excellence among Soldiers, Family members, civilian employees and host nation supporters throughout Germany for their day-to-day support to the local military and civilian communities and their efforts towards the German-American friendship in calendar year 2007.

Group High Achievement Award (by category):

Community Support - KONTAKT Vilseck

Group and District Development - KONTAKT Vilseck

Education - KONTAKT Fulda

Cultural Awareness - KONTAKT Darmstadt

Public Relations - KONTAKT Grafenwoehr

Marketing - KONTAKT Vilseck

Publications - KONTAKTER

Webpage - KONTAKT Vilseck

Funds and Fundraising - KONTAKT Fulda

Special Single Event - KONTAKT Fulda

Special Programs at a Community With Military Presence - KONTAKT Vilseck

Special Programs at a Community Without Military Presence - KONTAKT Fulda

KONTAKT AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

Volunteer Award (by category):

Group at Community With Military Presence - KONTAKT Vilseck, for volunteering a total of 13,844 hours in 2007

Group at Community Without Military Presence - KONTAKT Fulda, for volunteering a total of 28,153 hours in 2007

Group With Highest Average Hours Per Member - KONTAKT Berlin, the 28 members volunteered an average of 220 hours for a total of 6,168 hours in 2007

Volunteer at Community With Military Presence - Daniel Koenig, Vilseck, for volunteering a total of 1,326 hours in 2007

Volunteer at Community Without Military Presence - Karin Jaeger, Fulda, for volunteering a total of 1,521 hours in 2007

The Outstanding Civilian Service Awards for Non-Members go to:

Dr. Wolfgang Dippel, KONTAKT Fulda

Oliver and Carina Halder, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Gjogi Lazarov, KONTAKT Heidelberg

Reservistenkameradschaft Neunkirchen/Sand, KONTAKT Vilseck

Lt. Col. Antonio Aguto, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, KONTAKT Vilseck

Lt. Col. Thomas Rickard, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, KONTAKT Vilseck

Spc. Nathan Jones, AFN Bavaria, KONTAKT Vilseck

Lt. Col. Gary A. Rosenberg, U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg, KONTAKT Bamberg

The Individual High Achievement Awards for members go to:

Anna May Maynard, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Heinrich BoAfA,le, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Karl Scharl, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Gabi Frazao, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Jim Frazao, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Kim Frazao, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Robert Neumeier, KONTAKT Hohenfels

Helga Lettau, KONTAKT GrafenwAfAPhr

Karin Kurr, KONTAKT GrafenwAfAPhr

David Moore, KONTAKT GrafenwAfAPhr

Capt. Angela Hise, KONTAKT Bamberg

Martin DAfAPpp, KONTAKT Bamberg

Barbara Kirchhof, KONTAKT Bamberg

Klaus Kirchhof, KONTAKT Bamberg

Sibylle Schmitt, KONTAKT Bamberg

KONTAKT AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

Margit Berger-Pflieger, KONTAKT NAfA1/4rnberg

John Botts, KONTAKT Fulda

Charles Eplin, KONTAKT Fulda

Giesela Heller, KONTAKT Fulda

Karl-Josef Bohl, KONTAKT Fulda

Laura Read, KONTAKT Heidelberg

Carol Skidds, KONTAKT Heidelberg

Jimmie Thomas, KONTAKT Heidelberg

Hans Sturm, KONTAKT Amberg

Erna Schudnagis, KONTAKT Amberg

Rita L. Roberts, KONTAKT Amberg

Katharina Moser, KONTAKT Amberg

Joseph F. Roberts, KONTAKT Amberg

William Shirk, KONTAKT Darmstadt

Meshelle Shirk, KONTAKT Darmstadt

Petra Braun, KONTAKT Darmstadt

Elke Franck, KONTAKT Darmstadt

Steven, Christa and Sonja Miller, KONTAKT Karlsruhe

Wolfgang Glowania, KONTAKT Vilseck

Werner Jelinek, KONTAKT Vilseck

Susanne Falke, KONTAKT Vilseck

Spc. Sergio Minero, KONTAKT Vilseck

Peggy Sue Lovelady, KONTAKT Vilseck

Spc. Jason Pawlow, KONTAKT Vilseck

Hermann Klier, KONTAKT Vilseck

Helge Horn, KONTAKT Vilseck

Franz Popp, KONTAKT Vilseck

Cheryl Schindler, KONTAKT Vilseck

This year's winners were selected during a two-day judging period by a panel of six board members of the Federal Association of German-American Friendship / Outreach-Germany and one representative from the USAREUR Public Affairs Community Relations Branch.

The awards will be presented at the annual awards banquet, scheduled for September in Stuttgart, Germany.

The KONTAKT program gives Soldiers, Family members and civilians an opportunity to learn about Germany and its culture together with Germans and citizens of other

KONTAKT AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

countries. It serves as a bridge to overcome cultural differences. KONTAKT has been an official USAREUR community relations program since 1969.

The following criteria are used to award a KONTAKT Club with the Group High Achievement Award in the category:

Community Support - for single events or activities that directly support the local or military community.

Group and District Development - for activities that support the development of the club, the Federal Association or the program.

Education - for programs and activities that successfully promoted language, computer, arts and craft, cooking and sports skills.

Cultural Awareness - for planning, organizing and hosting cross-cultural activities such as Fasching or Halloween events.

Funds and Fundraising - for a well-developed expenditure policy and the successful acquisition of subsidies, including the bookkeeping system, fiscal controls, audits, and fundraising events.

Public Relations - for outstanding relationships and contacts to the U.S. military chain of command, Soldiers, Family members, German officials at city and community levels, and local associations that result in a positive KONTAKT image, recruitment, and joint events and programs.

Marketing - for a well-developed and implemented marketing concept that result in positive media coverage or general KONTAKT publicity, to include outstanding relationships with the military and local media.

Publications - for outstanding publication products promoting the KONTAKT goals.

Webpage - for developing, maintaining and updating a club Webpage.

Special Single Event - for planning, organizing and conducting a single event with an imaginative concept that directly supports German-American friendship.

Special Program - for developing and organizing a special program that promotes leisure activities offered by the local KONTAKT Club and directly supports German-American friendship.

KONTAKT AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

The Outstanding Civilian Service Awards recognize non-KONTAKT members for supporting the KONTAKT program with donations, guidance, support and participation in special programs and events.

The Individual High Achievement Awards recognize active KONTAKT members for their work and initiative that ensured that KONTAKT has remained a vital program for almost 40 years.