THE ANNUAL Wolf Valley Charity Day, which took place at Vale do Lobo on June 10, surpassed itself yet again.
The final counts are still being made but the amount raised has already topped last year’s total of 52,000 euros.
This remarkable sum was raised thanks to the great generosity of local residents and companies that made donations, the charity’s main sponsor, the Vale do Lobo Group of Companies, and everyone who participated in the wide range of activities throughout the day and evening.
Chairman of the Wolf Valley Charity, Bobby Longmuir, said: “We are very pleased that we managed to raise such a significant amount again this year. There are many needy causes in our area, and we feel that it is very important to give something back to the community in which we live. Clearly, lots of others share our view, given the great turnout on Saturday, and I would like to thank everyone who participated to make this a success.”
The money raised from this year’s event will go to two causes: ASCA community centre in Almancil, where it will provide furniture and equipment for the residential care home being built in the town, and UNIR, a day centre in Loulé for mentally handicapped people, where it will contribute towards the refurbishment of a new premises, without which many needy people would be left with nowhere to go.
The main fundraiser of the day was a golf tournament, for which use of the challenging Royal and Ocean Courses was offered by the board of the Vale do Lobo resort, thus all green fees paid to play went directly to the charity fund. Other activities and events included a tombola, one-hole putting competitions, and stalls selling handmade jewellery, caps signed by Vale do Lobo’s golf pros, books, CDs and videos.
A gourmet dinner dance in the evening featured a raffle and auction, where the sports items, in particular, sparked several light-hearted bidding wars: notably an England shirt signed by the whole team, three shirts donated by Ronald Koeman, each with a different history, and a round of golf with Brian Davis.
A new feature of this seventh annual charity day was the involvement of the new Vale do Lobo Lawn Bowling Club. The fundraising activities were continued by the members of this club on Sunday, June 11, with competitions, bowling lessons, stalls and a raffle, which raised over 1,000 euros.
