Liesl Weapon: Cheers Donations for the Münchner Tafel

Drink beer while donating to a good cause!

Drink one mug, donate one euro: This is the idea behind the “Prostspenden” (Cheers Donations) promotion by cabaret artist Amelie Magdeburg, aka Liesl Weapon. The proceeds from the donations, which in 2018 totaled almost 30,000 euros, will go to Münchner Tafel e.V., an organization that distributes food to the needy on a weekly basis. What a great idea!

How do I become a donor?

It’s as easy as one, two, beer: You log in on the website www.prostspenden.de and pay one euro per mug you drink — or even more, if you’d like. The money is transferred to the Münchner Tafel by instant bank transfer, direct debit, credit card, or PayPal. This can be done directly in the beer tent by smartphone — perhaps you can collect a few euros directly from your friends at the table? Or even the morning after, when you try to recap the number of mugs consumed. Whenever! Every euro counts. It remains to be said that in this context that water, Spezi, wine, and coffee also count as a ‘mug.’

Celebrities praise the Prostspenden

One, two, drink — one or two euros donated: Many celebrities are also involved as supporters of Prostspenden. For example, the comedians Harry G. and Simon Pearce. Cabaret artists Günther Grünwald, Wolfgang Krebs, and Michi Altinger. Soccer legend Paul Breitner and TV chef Alexander Herrmann. In addition, there are lots of musicians and bands like the Spider Murphy Gang and the Riederinger Musikanten. And of course, the Munich breweries also belong to the supporters’ circle. They’re very happy about every donated euro — naturally all the more if you’ve actually drunk a mug before.

And what do the festival hosts do?

Some people may now be asking themselves, “Yeah, wait, why should I be the one to donate and not, for example, the rich Wiesn landlords?” What should go on record is that they’re already supporting the project, for example financially through the Munich Wiesnstiftung foundation. And they help to publicize Prostspenden, as far as is possible within the scope of the advertising ban at Oktoberfest. Many also have their own projects or foundations for charitable purposes that are close to their hearts. And: For many years now, the Oktoberfest hosts have been inviting over 3,000 underprivileged Munich residents to lunch on the first Wiesn Monday as part of the “Wiesn mit Herz” (Wiesn with Heart) campaign.

Liesl Weapon on Prostspenden

The Munich cabaret artist Liesl Weapon became acquainted with the valuable work of the Münchner Tafel in 2014. Since then, she’s been working as an ambassador for the association and started the Prostspenden campaign on her own for Wiesn 2017. “We are extremely pleased with the extensive positive feedback and the many Oktoberfest guests who become Cheers donors,” says the initiator. “It was our dream that social awareness would get such this kind space and attention at Oktoberfest. It’s very nice to see how an idea becomes a reality and how a lot of work pays off.”