We, Gabi Riedel and Susan Schuler, teachers in the German program at Sunset Elementary, have taken the initiative to start this fundraiser for our dear colleague Annely Hoffmann. She was recently diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the supplemental therapy that aims to ease the negative side effects of chemotherapy, is not covered by her insurance. Please help with any kind of donation to support Annely Hoffmann in her biggest struggle yet.

Annely has been a symbol of strength, pure will power and amazing energy all of her life. Born in a small village in Eastern Europe, Annely became a refugee as a toddler because of her German heritage. She spent 3 long years in labor camps in Poland and the Czech Republic, crossing the countries by foot and in cattle waggons. After this horrific journey, Annely and her family were able to start a new life when they arrived in Dattenfeld, Germany, in 1946. Annely understands hardship like very few. She is the pillar of her family, which includes a special needs grandchild. We know that she is a fighter who will never give up.

We were lucky to meet Annely when she taught German at Sunset Elementary School. Hundreds of students in Miami have been very fortunate to experience “Frau Hoffmann” in the classroom. She is so passionate about teaching that, even after retirement, she continued working as a substitute teacher for Sunset and supported the German program as a GIPA teacher. Many of her students are now young adults, but they still fondly remember Annely's engaging classes. They sang countless German songs together (do you remember "Die olle Flunder" or her own composition "Der Zauberfrosch"???). She practiced German verb conjugation by throwing a ball across the room. In summary, Annely was the example of an enthusiastic, engaging teacher who worked hard for her students every day. Earning her Master's Degree at 54, Annely showed all of us that lifelong learning should be a goal for everyone. She is a true icon of our successful program! Let’s rally around Annely to help her during this difficult stage of her life. Thank you so much!