The COVID-19 pandemic continued to significantly impact us throughout 2021. Until May, our full-time staff remained on short-time work (Kurzarbeit) to help alleviate a tight financial situation. Although the first COVID vaccinations took place in the spring, it remained unclear how the pandemic would unfold over the course of 2021. One thing was certain from the start: the Star Gala could not take place once again, causing us to lose a vital and reliable source of donation revenue yet another year.