No carnival due to all the corona measures? Then we’ll sit in a glass house and raise money for charity. That’s what Frank van den Brand and Carlo van Kessel from Sint-Oedenrode thought. Things didn’t look rosy for Carnival 2022 around Christmas, so they started organizing a glass house promotion. They had themselves locked up last Friday and on Tuesday evening they can go outside again after 100 hours. And that while unexpectedly an exuberant carnival was celebrated.
“We don’t regret it,” says Carlo. “We were sitting here watching how everyone could still enjoy carnival.” Frank adds: “The relaxation was actually good for us. This made us a mini-festival. On Sunday the entire square was full. They came here from Eindhoven, Helmond and Best to soak up the atmosphere, because otherwise it is only carnival at the pub this year.”
It is fairly quiet on the Market in Papgat on Tuesday evening at seven o’clock. A brass band has just finished playing and Frank and Carlo start another carnival record. “We have been here since we were locked up on Friday by the mayor,” says Frank. After 96 hours of radio, his back is ready to rest.
But the two aren’t thinking about that yet. “We are very curious how much money we have raised. I hope a symbolic 11,111 euros,” laughs Carlo. And they seem to be able to achieve that easily, because only the checks that have been brought in quickly amount to eight thousand euros. They raise money for three charities in their village. Namely for primary school youth, people with disabilities and lonely.
“Everything has to do with corona,” explains Frank. “The children couldn’t go to school, people with disabilities couldn’t go outside and the lonely became even more lonely and locked up even more.”
Normally Carlo van den Brand organizes the youth carnival in Papgat. “Then there will be a large party tent for youth at this location. That was not yet possible this year, so we wanted to do something fun. As a youth carnival, we can also use the money well, but we really wanted to do something for the village.” And that seems to be working. Donations are pouring in: checks with amounts over a thousand euros, cash via the letterbox and via a QR code can also be donated online.
The hundred hours flew by for Frank, although he had a bit of a hard time on Monday. “You see online photos of the Council of Eleven, where I’m actually in, and then you miss it very much. But when someone puts more than fifty euros in the mailbox a little later, you quickly forget that.” Carlo feels the same, who plays in a brass band. “If they’re here playing and I can’t participate, that’s a moment that you have to go through.”
And next year? Then, if all goes well, there will be a youth tent on the Market again and Carlo and Frank will celebrate carnival as usual. “This was really a one-off, there will no longer be a glass house,” concludes Carlo.