Hi, Please find attached 2026-08-10-dc26-words-from-localteam.md , to be added to https://salsa.debian.org/debconf-team/public/websites/dc26/news/stories/ . I is also being published as a bits from the Publicity Team. Sorry for not doing this the salsa MR way; I got lost in all options and documentation, and lack the time to dive into this machinery now...
HTH anyway! Thanks, Bye, Joost
--- Title: DebConf26 Local Team says goodbye --- DebConf26 is over, and those of us who were part of the Local Team are trying to return to “normality”, if such a thing exists after organizing a DebConf. This event changed our lives and would not have been possible without the help of many great people. We would especially like to thank everyone who became part of our extended local team. Our endless thanks go to Gunnar —who also instigated this whole adventure—, Santiago, Nattie, Stefano, and Olasd. Thank you for supporting and guiding us, sharing your experience, and helping us find solutions throughout the entire process. It was also made possible thanks to the great work, strong support and patience of international teams: Fundraising, Bursaries, Content, Video, Treasury, Visa, Website, Accommodation, Front Desk, Cheese and Wine, Publicity as well as all the other teams and individuals who contributed. We apologize if we have forgotten to mention anyone; many people helped make this event possible. Our deepest thanks also go to everyone who joined us in working on the event, especially Fer, José, and Julián, who showed great commitment and took responsibility for several important tasks. We would also like to extend our gratitude to FICH, the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, the institutions, organizations, sponsors, suppliers, and everyone who contributed in one way or another to welcoming the Debian community to Santa Fe. And finally, a very special thank you to our families, to whom we dedicated little time these past few weeks, who supported us on this adventure, enduring the exhaustion, the calls and messages at all hours, and the occasional stressful situation. Always giving us that much-needed, encouraging hug with so much love. These were very intense weeks, during which we tried to give our best so that everyone could enjoy their stay and so that the Debian community had the necessary conditions to meet, work, share knowledge, and continue creating the magic that characterizes community life and the development of Debian. As happens at every DebConf, there were difficulties, unexpected situations, and challenges that required us to improvise, learn, and perform a few juggling acts. There were also moments that will certainly remain as memorable anecdotes: the “antisocial room”, some gas heaters worthy of a museum, and newly unlocked powers for negotiating with suppliers. We have no evidence, but also no doubt, that for many people the Conference Dinner was one of the best moments of the event. A few ingredients we had hoped would happen naturally were missing, such as more wine nights and at least one in-person football match. During the two weeks of DebConf, we experienced every kind of weather and a wide range of emotions. Above all, however, we saw people enjoying themselves and building friendships, which fills us with pride. Thank you very much to everyone who came and helped DebConf26 leave such a beautiful mark on our hearts. We hope our paths cross again somewhere in life. Best regards, Leonardo, Emmanuel, Mariano, Pablo, and Martín DebConf26 Local Team
