German-American Friendship Month

Open Road Volkswagen Manhattan hosted the German-American Committee of Greater New York on Wednesday, September 18th, 2013, as Mayor Bloomberg officially declares September "German-American Friendship Month".

Open Road Volkswagen on 11th Avenue in Manhattan was the first stop on a month of cultural celebration in New York. At promptly 6:30pm, on September 18th, Lars Halter, General Chairman of the German-American Committee, shared a warm welcome and officially kicked off a weekend of celebration of German-American friendship in the United States. At the close of his remarks, Halter extended a heart-felt thank you to Mayor Bloomberg for his support of the Committee's continued efforts in New York and proudly reminisced on the German influences the city has seen over the years.

One of the most recognizable contributions of German influence to the city was the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. In attendance at the reception was the Great Great Grandson of John Roebling, the German immigrant who initially designed the Brooklyn Bridge and whose son, with the instrumental help of his wife, saw the project to completion in 1883. To honor and thank Mayor Bloomberg, Lars Halter presented Mayor Bloomberg with an 1870 Alligator wrench, a tool that was instrumental in building the Brooklyn Bridge.

"At Open Road, eleven of our sixteen dealerships have German heritage; we have great respect and value for the influence that the German culture has in our market and our business. We're honored to host this reception for the German American Committee and thrilled to be a part of history with Mayor Bloomberg's official declaration of this celebrated month" shared Rod Ryan, Owner of the Open Road Auto Group who closed his Volkswagen Showroom early on Wednesday night to donate the space for this special reception.

What's Next? German-Americans all over the country are getting ready for this weekend. Friday, September 20th, starts with a greeting ceremony for the guests from overseas at 11:30am at Foley Square Park. The same day will see the Steuben Parade Gala at the New York Hilton, where the Grand Marshals will be introduced. On Saturday, September 21st., parade day will start with mass at St. Patrick´s Cathedral at 9.30 AM; the Steuben Parade marches off at 12 Noon and will go from 68th to 86th Street. In good German-American tradition, the parade is followed by the Oktoberfest in Central Park. For more information visit http://www.germanparadenyc.org/