Portugal’s President, António Cavaco Silva, took part in the Taça Portugal Solidário charity golf tournament at Vale do Lobo on January 23, which raised more than 67,000 euros for Portugal’s Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s sufferers.
This was the fourth edition of this charity tournament, which saw 80 golfers play on the Ocean golf course from midday.
The previous three events raised funds for the national diabetics association, the national association that supports women with cancer and a co-operative that helps to educate and rehabilitate disabled people.
According to a statement from Vale do Lobo, who organised this year’s tournament along with companies Golfecom and Desafios Criativos, the amount raised will go to support the Associação Humanitária de Doentes de Parkinson e Alzheimer and its project to build a regional continuing care unit in Picota, Tavira.
Altruistic spirit
During the prize giving dinner, which was held at the Vale do Lobo auditorium, President Cavaco Silva said: “Golf is a sport that helps combat seasonality and unemployment in the region. As well as this, the tournament is also confirmation that golf can work with social causes, showing that the sport can be used in a charitable way.”
 President Cavaco Silva (centre) with the president of Vale do Lobo’s administrative council Diogo Gaspar Ferreira (left), and Loulé mayor Sebastião Seruca Emídio |
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He also praised the participants of the tournament for their altruistic spirit in taking part in the event, which contributes to supporting around 110,000 people who suffer from Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s in Portugal.
The winner of this year’s Taça Portugal Solidário tournament was Bernardo Sousa Coutinho, with 36 points, followed by Maurice Elst and António Ferreira in second and third places with 33 and 32 points, respectively.
This year’s winning team was Unicer, whose players Bernardo Sousa Coutinho, Tomás Mello Gouveia, António Pires de Lima and João Nuno Magalhães gained 69 points.
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