Though kindness and generosity is not all that uncommon in the pipe world, Rolf Osterndorff – known to many of us as “Piepenhoeker” – is an inspiring example of what a man with a big vision and a bigger heart will try to accomplish, despite the odds arrayed against him.

When I arrived at my computer yesterday morning, I found an email from Rolf asking me if we might have a conversation. Would I email him my telephone number so he could phone me from Germany? After having watched Rolf’s zany pipe repair videos on You Tube, I couldn’t wait to hear from him. Anyone who could make me laugh so much promised to be a fun man with whom to have a conversation.

When Rolf phoned a few moments later, I learned about this man’s determined efforts in his community of Cuxhaven, Germany to make a difference in people’s perceptions of the tobacco sector by helping people less fortunate than him.

Rolf explained that in recent years German law has changed and now encourages – through tax relief – the formation of foundations to help address some of Germany’s pressing needs. Not unlike the United States, Germany is facing some serious social problems. Poverty is on the increase and so is crime. The costs of rebuilding the former East Germany continue to require huge expenditures. Immigrants from Eastern Europe continue to pour in looking for better jobs and better lives. Like here, the senior citizen population is growing apace and there is not enough money to address health care or quality of life issues.

Osterndorff has been working to encourage tobacco companies, pipe-making artisans, and other retailers to join him in stepping up to help address some local social problems. To date, Rolf has had challenges persuading others to join him in his efforts to encourage the average German to re-think the bad image of the tobacco sector in Germany. The lack of a philanthropic tradition makes it hard for people to get used to the idea of personal giving, but this does not discourage Rolf Osterndorff. With increasing smoking bans and bad public relations, he knows that if the German tobacco sector doesn’t take its image problems seriously, things will only get worse.

Like any good leader, Rolf decided to lead by example so he sold his motorcycle and some other personal items – then added a bundle of his personal cash – and took the money and bought motorized wheelchairs with it. He has been giving these wheelchairs away to poor senior citizens who cannot afford to buy them on their own.

If that weren’t enough, when Osterndorff learned that a local child care center was losing its facilities, he put them in his own house at his own expense. So here we have a small businessman in a small German community addressing both ends of the aging spectrum – mostly by himself. You can see pictures of this amazing combo of childcare/senior care/tobacco emporium by clicking here. It’s amazing.

Rolf asked me, “Will you be in Chicago?” I told him “yes.” He responded by telling me that he wasn’t sure he could come this year because he didn’t know whether or not he could afford the cost of the airfare round-trip from Germany. He also mentioned that he had taken the money he usually buys pipes with and has spent it all on wheelchairs.

Speaking personally, I can’t abide the idea of the Chicago Pipe Show without the likes of Rolf Osterndorff. In these times, we need the best minds, the biggest hearts, and the most determined people in our hobby with us.

Rolf asked me if I would help him with his philanthropy strategy and I agreed to do so. I’ll be helping him work the kinks out of his web site when it comes to English. But I’ve been thinking that I want to do more - if only it is to ensure that Rolf is with us in Chicago.

I’m a bit worried that Herr Osterndorff might be a bit perplexed by this post. He did not ask me to do this; I’m doing it on my own. What am I supposed to do? He set the example. I’m just following it. How about joining me?