Used to taking centre stage at most events, Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and DFB President Dr Theo Zwanziger were quite happy in Berlin today to see themselves "demoted" to the role of prize givers, handing over the DFB / Mercedes-Benz Integration Prize to the deserved winners of the 2011 edition of the award. In the "Club" category, the prize went to the Mainz-based VfL Fontana Finthen, with the Bremen primary school Grundschule Pastorenweg coming first in the "Schools" category and the Deutsche Soccer Liga e. V. receiving the honour in the "Special Award" section. A total of EUR 150,000 in cash and goods was to be won by entrants taking part in the competition.
The objective is to support projects and activities that employ football to promote the social integration of children and teens from immigrant families and different ethnic backgrounds. German national team manager Oliver Bierhoff is the official patron for the Prize, while a jury including Dr Zwanziger and the German government's Integration Commissioner, Prof. Dr Maria Böhmer, picked the nominees.
"Integration Prize sends a clear message"
"I'm proud to say that we're in our fifth year now, and every year, the Integration Prize sends a clear message to a changing society that doesn't only grow older but also more diverse," says Zwanziger. "Because in football integration often comes naturally, we tend to take it for granted as a kind of automatic by-product. But we mustn't forget that integration needs fostering, too, which is why together with our partners Mercedes-Benz, we have designed the Integration Prize as an award given to benchmark examples for how to live and play together in an environment of cultural equality and mutual respect."
"Successful integration is becoming ever more important in a society characterised by migration and globalization, and I think the German national team is one of the most authentic cases in point," says Mercedes-Benz's Ursula Schwarzenbart. "As a globally operating corporation, we know that diversity is an enriching feature. In Germany alone, we employ staff from almost 120 different countries, so integration is an issue close to our hearts."
Bierhoff applauds Mercedes-Benz financial input
"I am very happy that Mercedes-Benz continues to support our integration drive in such generous fashion. What's more, they don't just do it out of a sense of obligation as the DFB's commercial partners, but because they share our philosophy that integration matters today and, perhaps even more importantly, tomorrow," says Oliver Bierhoff.
The winners in each category will soon be proud owners of a brand-new Mercedes-Benz Vito people-mover; the respective runners-up receive EUR 10,000 each, and the third-placed contestants EUR 5,000. All other entrants will also be rewarded for their commitment, each winning four tickets to a German national men's or women's team match of their choice.