by PAULO SILVESTRE and INÊS LOPES
A Charity Golf Day at the Boavista Golf & Spa Resort near Lagos on June 25 will raise funds for two local organisations supporting children and young people.
The event has been organised by a group of golfers, all members of Boavista, who have been working tirelessly for several years to help underprivileged children in the area.
This year money raised will go to NECI, the school for people with special needs in Montinhos da Luz, and Lar de Jovens, the home for children and young people in Lagos which is managed by Centro de Assistência Social Lucinda Anino dos Santos.
Boavista has provided the course free of charge for the event, with the aim of raising as much money as possible for the care and comfort of those children who have either been removed from their family homes due to undesirable circumstances or are in need of improved special needs education facilities.
The Algarve Resident, which is sponsoring the event, spoke with Dra. Eduarda Santos, president of NECI and a teacher specialised in special needs education, to understand the needs of the school and how people can contribute to improve the quality of life of its students, who all suffer from varying degrees of mental handicap.
“All our efforts are going towards the construction of our new residential home (Lar Residencial). For 10 years we have been fighting for this project to be approved and only now we have managed to get the support we needed from the government and the Municipalities of Lagos, Aljezur and Vila do Bispo.
“However, this support is not enough and we would be pleased if the community could also get involved, helping not only with money but also with equipment for the home,” said Dra. Eduarda Santos.
The Lar Residencial, which will be home to 24 people aged from 16, is expected to open in 2012 on a Câmara-granted plot of land adjacent to the NECI school, which will be responsible for its day-to-day running. The total investment in the project is estimated at more than €950,000.
Dra Eduarda Santos has also praised the efforts of Boavista Golf in organising the golf event. “We are very grateful to the golf club, which has been working with NECI since we began operating. We are delighted to be able to count on their support again.”
She also hopes to carry out more improvement works to the school premises in order to provide better care and conditions for her students.
“The construction of an aqua therapy pool and a gym next to the Lar Residencial is another dream we have for the future, but our main objective now is to build the home as some of our students have elderly parents or come from single parent families,” she said.
Under the motto ‘if you can drive then our two charities can survive’, the Charity Golf Day is an Open Pairs Betterball Stableford competition with a shotgun start at 11am.
The entry fee is €55 (this year reduced by €20) and includes buggies, the green fees, a bbq including wine, live entertainment and auction participation.
There will also be prizes for first, second and third pairs as well as nearest the pin ladies and nearest the pin gentleman.
Non-golfing partners are also welcome with the spa facilities open for a reduced fee of €5 per person, offering the use of the heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and fully equipped gym. After the pampering session, non-golfers can join others for the barbecue and entertainment for an extra €20.
If anyone or any company would like to help this worthy cause by sponsoring a hole or donating an auction prize, or for more information about the event, please contact the Boavista reception on 282 000 111.
For more information about NECI, please go to www.neci.pt or visit the premises at Montinhos da Luz.
Dinner dance
NECI is also organising a dinner/dance tomorrow (Saturday) from 7pm at Restaurante Vale Verde in Praia da Luz in aid of the new residential home. Tickets cost €20. For more information and reservations, please call 282 788 692 or 934 873 335 or email [email protected]
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