On February 16, 2022, the German Red Cross launched this year's "Torch Relay to Solferino" at the headquarters of its General Secretariat in Berlin. During the event, a "Light of Hope" is carried by the DRK throughout the entire Federal Republic. It will reach Italy at the end of June to take part in the so-called Fiaccolata, the international memorial event commemorating the origin of the Red Cross idea. In Saarland, the torch was on the move in mid-May. It traveled through all seven DRK district associations there before being handed over to the next state association.
Thus, the torch also arrived at the DRK local association Mettlach, which received it at the boat dock from the DRK district association Trier-Saarburg. From the Mettlach canoe club, it was transported in the next leg further down the Saar River by the water rescue service by boat. Mayor Daniel Kiefer was invited by the Mettlach local association to accompany the journey through the Saarschleife to the next local association in Besseringen. The receiving local association in Besseringen carried the torch on foot through the forest to the Merzig Wolfspark, where it was taken over by the Merchingen Youth Red Cross.
The torch is also meant to be a symbol of peace and international cooperation – "a topic that, unfortunately, could not be more important at the moment," says Mayor Daniel Kiefer with regard to the current international events.
The German Red Cross hopes to reach as many people as possible with this campaign and inspire them about the cross-border community spirit of the German Red Cross.
