As the racing season ended in Germany, Logistics Plus Global Director of Sales (Marine & Motorsport Logistics) Jennifer Elstone took a moment to reflect on a recent benefit event she attended. As you may have heard, the Arhtal floods in July 2021 were a terrible tragedy that killed more than 220 people in Europe. The floods affected hundreds of people in Germany and Belgium, along with creating extensive damage in the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
After the VLN race finished at Nurburgring this year, Jennifer was invited to attend the Arhtal floods benefit to honor those who lost their lives and to mark the ongoing redevelopment that is still happening in the region. This benefit was organized by The Heizer Monkeys (friends of Jennifer), EiFelkind Racing, and Opel Motorsport in the Adenau town center. Logistics Plus was happy to donate $1,000 to this great cause.
Jennifer said, “Logistics Plus is happy to be involved and contribute to this cause. Many thanks to The Heizer Monkeys and everyone who helped arrange this benefit to support people affected by this tragedy.”
A recap of the event can be seen below or on the Logistics Plus YouTube Channel.
The Heizer Monkeys band manager shared the below message about the benefit and what it means to the band:
The Heizer Monkeys are an international rock band, but their life in motorsport means they have always loved the famous Nurburgring race track in Germany. They have a deep connection with the Eifel and Ahrtal region. Seeing the media coverage of the devastating and tragic floods around the river Ahr of 2021 led lead singer Joey to go out to the Ahrtal region to volunteer. After a day digging ditches with the army, Joey was asked to go from rest station to rest station and give dozens of short solo concerts over several days to firefighters, soldiers, medics, civil guard workers, and volunteers, exhausted from their ceaseless work in the disaster zone. Joey, of course also when asked also performed for residents who had been going through the trauma of trying to rebuild their own homes.
When he returned home to the UK after some weeks, still holding a heavy sense of what he had seen and felt, he wrote down what he saw – the story of the shock, the anger, the sadness but also the compassion, hope, and solidarity – people coming from around Germany and even further to help strangers. He read the phrase You Ahr Not Alone in a WhatsApp helpers’ group, and he couldn’t shake it from his mind. You AHR Not Alone became the title of the song. With the help of Depeche Mode drummer and producer Christian Eigner, The Heizer Monkeys went to work to record it. And so an anthem of hope for the Ahrtal was born.
Over a year later in November 2022, The Heizer Monkeys returned to the region to perform a benefit concert for the Ahrtal close to their beloved Nurburgring. The event was advertised by regional community leaders Markus Wipperfurth and Azubi Wilhelm Hartmann, as well as representatives of the different major local charity organizations, including the Spenden Shuttle charity, which distributes donations from around the world where they are most needed. People came to the concert from all over the region and from the world of motorsport to show support, even from Eifelkind, the local race team which fundraises for good local causes in the Nurburgring race paddock.
The band closed out this emotional evening with an extended version of You AHR Not Alone. The crowd lit candles to remember the dead but also sang the words to the song along with the band, giving it a new meaning – please do not forget us.