Eighth grade German students from the Garden City Middle School were joined by members of the Garden City High School German Honor Society at a Flag Raising Ceremony held at the new Nassau County Executive Building in Mineola on October 6th. The German-American Cultural Council sponsors the ceremony each year on that date to celebrate German-American Friendship Day and the many contributions made by Americans of German heritage to the development of this country.

Speeches were made by dignitaries from the German-American community, including Council President Heinz Buck, Supreme Court Justice Ute Wolf Lally, and Consul General Dr. Freitag from the Federal Republic of Germany. County Executive, the Honorable Thomas Suozzi addressed the audience and then presented a proclamation to the Cultural Council commemorating the day. German teachers Dr. Judith Hecker and Mrs. Susan Weber introduced their respective student groups. Middle School German Club officers Haley Freese and Stefan Hugel spoke briefly in German, telling about the activities of their club, and high school senior Raymond Hugel greeted everyone on behalf of the German Honor Society. Photo Credit: Russell Lappai