Committee members from the Wolf Valley Charity (WVC), founded by a group of international Vale do Lobo residents in 1999, visited several of the beneficiaries of their most recent fundraising activities recently.
The Councillor of Loulé Municipality, Possolo Viegas, President of the Parish, João Martins, and Administrative President of ASCA (Association for Society and Culture Almancil), Hermes Alberto, accompanied nine WVC committee members as they met the people who have benefited from their tireless fundraising efforts.
The first stop was São João Primary School, where the dignitaries were greeted by cheering children, eager to show off the brand-new playground, built with funds raised by the WVC. A tour of the school followed and committee members were able to view the new toilets, also recently installed thanks to the charity. Possolo Viegas and João Martins both expressed their gratitude to the charity for their support of the local community.
The committee and dignitaries also visited ASMAL, a home for people with special needs, where residents benefited from several new pieces of equipment provided by the charity.
The tour continued on to the ASCA headquarters in Almancil, where elderly visitors to the day centre joined with the committee to inspect a specially equipped van provided by the charity, which will take meals to elderly people and schools in the area. Reverend Cónego Gilberto, from the parish of Almancil, blessed the van and speeches followed by Possolo Viegas, João Martins and Hermes Alberto, thanking the charity for continuing to be a source of much needed help.
Chairman of the WVC, Bobby Longmuir, responded: “On behalf of all the committee members, I would like to express our gratitude for being able to make a real difference to the lives of people in the local community – a vision we will continue to pursue in 2005.”
Hedy van Gelder, board member of Vale do Lobo, wife of Chairman Sander van Gelder and founding WVC committee member, added: “Vale do Lobo is very much part of the community and we will always seek to make a positive difference to local people.”
