30 Region of Waterloo High School and University students were honoured October 2, 2001 with prizes and trophies at the Transylvania Club in Kitchener in front of an audience of 350.

Dr. Marga Weigel, President of the German-Canadian Business and Professional Association (GCB&PA), organizers and major sponsor of the event, welcomed the students, the dignitaries, scholars, beaming parents and members of the public.

This annual Wilfrid L. Bitzer Event (named after the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, who passed away in 1996 at age 99) is sponsored and organized for 27 years now by the GCB&PA. Other Top Sponsors for the Prizes and Awards were the Oberlander Family, Sowa Tool & Machine Co. Ltd. and Paul Tuerr Construction Ltd. An additional 47 corporate and individual award and event sponsors made this event an ever-growing success.

To underline the importance of the event, the MPP for Kitchener/Centre - Mr. Wayne Wettlaufer, Regional Chair - Mr. Ken Seiling and Waterloo Mayor Lynne Woolstencroft and other dignitaries addressed the audience at least partially in German (Meine sehr verehrten Damen und Herren and Auf Wiedersehen as a minimum), always a delight to those, who handle the language fluently. An absolute Bonus was the appearance among the dignitaries of Martin Fischer-Dieskau, the K-W Symphony's new Principal Conductor, who also briefly explained some of his ambitious plans for the K-W Symphony, not the least being a planned tour of the Orchestra of major German cities in 2003.

Awards were handed to each student and team by Presidents and Senior Managers of area businesses.

The top prize of $1,000 each went to Chris Banton of Grand River C.I. in the Regular Category (no German Language Background) and Sarah Allmendinger of the Concordia German Language School in the Advanced Category (with German Language background).

1st Prize Team School Trophy Awards were awarded to Waterloo C.I., [Michael Streiter (deceased), Kristyn Breithaupt and Ksenia Draaghtel], 2nd Prize to Cameron Heights C.I. [Andrea Stoia, Krissi Flatt and Jacqueline Bennewies] and the 3rd Prize went to Glenview Park Secondary School [Derek Page, Kristine Manel and Fatema Aburanch].

The Wanderpokal -- School Trophy was passed from last year's winner (Eastwood C.I.) to Waterloo C.I. this year.

Left to right, Father, Sister and Mother of Michael Streiter (teammate, deceased), Ksenia Draaghtel (teammate), Teacher Linda Schmidt and Mrs. Breithaupt (mother of teammate Kristyn Breithaupt)

The Prize for Business German went to the University of Waterloo's Ramona Ionescu and Petra Hortopanu and for Top Students in German to 7 outstanding German scholars of both the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier.

A special Keynote address planned in honour of the achieving students was almost not to be. The keynote speaker for the evening, Mr. Holger Osieck, Head Coach for Canada's National Men's Soccer Team almost did not make it as closure of the 401 by the OPP made his arrival in Kitchener a trying experience.

Humorously and professionally guided through the evening by MC's Harry Drung and Reinhard Weise of the German-Canadian Business and Professional Association, the Organizers gave a sigh of relief, when Holger Osieck's persistence to be there succeeded minutes before an emergency change would have become necessary.

With `Motivation' as his theme he riveted the audience to their seats with a dynamic and passionate speech on the need for any serious competitor to be motivated from within, which is certainly true for any of the outstanding soccer players in the world. As Head Coach he knows that any player who keeps practicing beyond the call of the coach has what it takes to become a successful player. He will certainly do what he can to stimulate the players� personal ambitions and inner motivation by providing the necessary drive to succeed in qualifying for the World Soccer Cup in Germany in 2006, his personal ambition.

Keynote speaker Holger Osieck, Head Coach for Canada's National Men's Soccer Team, speaking at the Wilfrid L. Bitzer awards event at the Transylvania Club.

With reference to early successes of the Canadian team, he emphasized that it was dangerous to bathe in the success and to stop driving for ever-improved play and conditioning. Never stop reaching for more, he said, no matter what pinnacle of success you have achieved.

This group of successful students was certainly honoured by examples of ambition, motivation and success as the evening progressed. They met leaders of business, the performing arts, and sports, who all reflected Mr. Osieck's theme. It is left to each of the student's motivation to excel in their quest for fluency in another language in a world of business that is becoming more and more global and in a world of diversified cultures that makes it more and more necessary not just to hear, but also to understand.

An enthusiastic audience of 350 people applauds the keynote speaker.

In established tradition the evening concluded in the sociable atmosphere of Coffee, Tea and Cake, in the spirit of German Gem�tlichkeit.

- Herwig Wandschneider