2009 Youth Exchange

Welcome to the 2009 Youth Exchange Trip Site!

What can be more American than baseball? Every year our guests visit, we always plan a game with the Class A affiliate of the Chicago cubs, the Peoria Chiefs. Before the game, the Toner family (hosting this year) graciously offered the office of Dad Hugh for an hour-long party with hot dogs, chips, cookies, soda and water. This kind offer gave everyone a chance to fill up and save money on snacks at the game. Then we headed down the street to O’Brien Stadium, where our home team was taking on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Every German student was honored to take part in the Dream Team – those select few who get to run onto the field to a position with a fielder as the home team takes the field. We gave each host family a diagram of the baseball field, along with position assignments, so they could help our guests understand where they would be running to! Baseball is not a common game in Europe, so our guests appreciated this help! One other student threw out the first pitch of the game, so everyone was involved! For taking part in this strange, nerve-wracking custom, each student received an autographed baseball! Unfortunately, the night went “downhill” from there, as the Chiefs were beaten by the visitors. But it was a pleasant evening that everyone enjoyed.

Visit with Mayor Ardis and the Taste of Peoria

Our youth exchange exists to support the sister city relationship between Peoria and Friedrichshafen. So it is only fitting that we visit the mayor of Peoria during our visitors’ stay. As always, Mayor Ardis was generous with his time as well as with his compliments about our exchange as well as our German sister city. He and his wife visited Friedrichshafen a few years ago, and he has never forgotten the wonderful hospitality he was shown. After welcoming our guests and relating the importance he places on the friendships between our cities, he called each of our guests up one by one. He then handed each a personalized proclamation that honored the students’ participation in the youth exchange. Along with Peoria City Councilman George Jacob (who visited Friedrichshafen this year with his wife), he also presented each student with a lapel pin in the logo of the city of Peoria. After the meeting with the mayor, each guest student was given a free pass into the Taste of Peoria. This annual event is an opportunity for area restaurants to show off their wares in bite-sized increments, so visitors can sample a little taste from many restaurants all in one place. Along with musical entertainment, a gymnastic group and other performers, it made for a very pleasant experience along the Peoria riverfront for everyone.

Continue to Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7