... and the winner is …

by Herwig Wandschneider

Another successful Christkindl Market has come to an end. But for the lucky winner of the Grand Prize, drawn in the closing minutes of the Kitchener Christkindl Market, a big event is still to come: The Grand Prize trip for two to Dresden sponsored by Lufthansa, RailEurope and the German National Tourist Office. The prize includes return airfare, a 5-day EuroRail pass and 2 days at the Art’otel Dresden (managed by Park Plaza Hotels Europe).

When the ticket was drawn on that cold Sunday evening in December, the lucky winner had left to attend a charitable event. The telephone call from the stage by Tony Bergmeier, founder and Chairman of the Christkindl Market, was answered by her answering machine. But when they did connect the next day, Ruth-Ann Boos thought at first that she had won Oktoberfest sausages. When winning the Grand Prize truly sank in, she broke into jubilation, yet felt immediately bad that she had had to leave before the draw.

You could not imagine a more enthusiastic winner than Ms. Boos. Born in Essex, ON, educated at Western University in London, ON, and at the University of Toronto, she taught Music, French and English at Elementary and High Schools in regular and gifted programs in Ontario. She has never been to Dresden, but spent 3 years teaching French in a Canadian School in Baden Solingen, at a time when there was still a Canadian Armed Forces Base for NATO there in the late 1970’s. Why go to Germany to teach? "I was adventurous", she says, "and I simply wanted the opportunity to learn German". Today, nearly 30 years later, you would never know that she spent only 3 years there. Her German remains fluent with little practice, and with only the slightest accent. Perhaps it is in her genes – her great grandfather was German.

Ms. Boos retired from teaching and plans to travel in Germany for 3 weeks either in May or September/October, including a visit to Berlin and to see friends she still has in Germany. Perhaps she can also get her Oktoberfest sausages – at the original source. Who will she take with her? "Plenty of volunteers", she says, "but I still have some time to decide". Happy planning and "Gute Reise" Ms. Boos. Look forward to hearing how it went.