Every year, the Etstoel – with a court in the church, an outdoor game and a market – attracts no fewer than 4,000 visitors to Anloo. However, the popular event is in danger of disappearing due to a lack of volunteers.
There are too few volunteers, especially at the front. “We need 3 or 4 coordinators and dozens of people who want to help with the construction,” says chairman Henk Doeven of the Etstoel Anloo Foundation. Those hands have not yet been found, so that the continued existence of the Etstoel hangs by a thread.
Reason for the foundation to sound the alarm this week. There must be plans in mid-December to save the 2023 edition, otherwise the plug will be unplugged for at least one year. “We can’t do anything else”, Doeven sighs. “The board cannot do everything itself.”
On the day itself (the event is held every third Saturday of August) there are more than enough people with 400 volunteers. “There is no lack of that. It is purely about the preparation.”
The foundation has to contend with a considerable aging population within the volunteer base. “We therefore hope for younger growth.”
The Etstoel lives in Anloo and surroundings enormously. “It’s beautiful, real cultural heritage,” says Doeven. “It provides a piece of social bonding and would be a loss if it disappeared. Moreover, it is all for a good cause.”
The proceeds of the event go to the maintenance of the Magnus Church. The church can use the money well, because large investments have to be made. “The roof needs maintenance and the same goes for the organs,” says Doeven. “The Etstoel is a major source of income for the church. You can’t just pick up that money somewhere else.”