The Evangelical Michael Church in Grafrath was filled to capacity on October 26, 2025: around 180 guests attended the benefit concert for the Wings of Hope Foundation. The cultural association St. Rasso e.V., the Evangelical Lutheran parish and the Grafrath Asylum Circle had jointly invited guests to this special evening.
Sonorous Highlights and Moving Moments
The program featured outstanding musical contributions: The Armenian-Russian jazz trumpeter Angela Avetisyan, internationally renowned as a soloist with the Jazzrausch Bigband Munich, thrilled the audience and even received a standing ovation at the end of her performance. Equally impressive was the performance of Alexandra Gruber, solo clarinettist with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, who enchanted the audience with her sensitive playing.
The local ensembles also provided a wide range of music: the wind ensemble of the Grafrath-Kottgeisering music association, the gospel choir “The Voices” from Türkenfeld and the women’s ensemble “Frau Meyer singt” from Grafrath. They not only enriched the evening with their varied repertoire, but also dealt with topics such as cohesion and hope and attracted numerous guests from the region.
Between the performances, Martina Bock and Atran Youkhana from the Wings of Hope Foundation reported on their work with traumatized children and families in Ukraine and Palestine. Under the patronage of Regional Bishop Thomas Prieto Peral, the event received prominent support for a good cause.
Great Willingness to Donate
An impressive 4,817 euros in cash donations were already received on site. A further 3,655 euros were transferred to the donation account in the following days. This raised an impressive total of 8,472 euros, which will now go towards Wings of Hope’s trauma and peace building work.
A buffet with international specialties, donated by families with a history of flight who have found a new home in Grafrath, among others, rounded off the evening in a warm atmosphere. Our heartfelt thanks go to all participants, donors and contributors: for the music, the commitment and the lived hope that joint action can make the world a little brighter.
