By DAISY SAMPSON
A SERIES of events organised under the Allgarve Edition 2008 banner has raised 112,000 euros for charitable causes across the region.
Minister of the economy, Manuel Pinho, was present at a ceremony in Faro on Monday when the money raised from ticket sales at various concerts, such as those by Lou Reed, Diana Krall and Simply Red, was donated to recipients.
The eight charities that benefited from the donation included Existir, a Loulé-based charity that helps underprivileged people, and Casa dos Rapazes de Faro and Refúgio Aboim Ascensão, both children’s homes in Faro, with each institution receiving 14,000 euros.
The Allgarve 2008 programme proved to be an enormous success for organisers, with thousands of people participating in diverse events from going to view a contemporary art show to watching a round of golf at the Portugal Masters.
More than 66,000 people visited art exhibitions throughout the Algarve between June 15 and September 7 as part of the programme which was backed by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Serralves and the Ellipse Foundation Contemporary Art Collection.
Music concerts were also a success as big international and national names performed in summer shows with 15,000 people attending the 11 concerts.
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According to statistics provided by Allgarve, the most popular international artists of the summer were Simply Red and Diana Krall with Fado singer Mariza having the largest attendance for national stars.
Meanwhile, the Allgarve jazz festival was the biggest of its kind ever to be held in Portugal, with Dee Dee Bridgewater and Herbie Hancock performing in July to packed audiences.
Sports were also a key element of the Allgarve calendar of events with the Portugal Masters golf tournament attracting more than 30,000 visitors and helping the Algarve cement its global position as a premier golfing destination.
The final sporting event of the Allgarve programme was the last round of the World Superbike competition held at the newly inaugurated Algarve Motor Park.
An indication as to the popularity of the programme can be seen by the number of visitors logging onto the official Allgarve website.
More than eight million people from over 50 countries worldwide visited the site between May and December, showing the international recognition the programme received this year.
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