At the end of April, many people from our local community came along and joined “Day for Life” – a family fund raising day in aid of our Cudeca Cancer Care Hospice.
The day commenced for those who wanted to participate with Walk for Life, now in its eighth year. For the first time, there was a choice of three walks; two longer ones of four and six hours respectively starting from Canillas de Albaida and walking around the stunning mountain range, Sierra de Almijara above the village kindly guided by Joost Schepel of www.walkspain.co.uk
Twelve walkers tackled these routes and one group encountered Sun, Rain, Hail and Snow!!
Forty seven people including seven children and eleven dogs joined the third walk, 5km around the village of Competa. Once again, the children created a race which Carla Gray won.
The event then extended into Day for Life at The Alberdini Rural Hotel, Competa with entertainment for both adults and children. On arrival at the Alberdini, the walkers were given a refreshment pack courtesy of Remy’s catering. A dedicated children’s area, kindly sponsored by La Boutique, Sugar and Spice and Eroski City, all of Competa kept the children amused with face painting, tin can alley, lucky dip, cake decorating, nail bar together with non-alcoholic cocktail bar. The children also enjoyed the Tombola stall where fifty prizes were generously donated by local businesses and residents; Alberdini, La Bodega, La Casona, Jill Caldwell, Kevin Deavin, John Etheridge, EGO Hair and Beauty, Kelly Maynard, La Esquina de Miguel, Nicola (Zumba), La Taberna de Oscar, Perico, Sue Robinson, Sugar & Spice, Taberna – Teteria Hierbabuena, and Ellie Wright. Thank you all so much.
As always, the home-made cake stall was a sell-out, especially the cupcakes! At lunch time, Enmanuel, Lola and Ceferina of The Alberdini, prepared and cooked a wonderful “paellagigante” which everyone enjoyed for only €.5 a portion of which €.2 was donated to Cudeca.
Another very popular stall was the Marmalady with a huge selection of natural produce Jams, Marmalades, pickles and chutneys. You could buy almost anything from the bric-a-brac stall; toys, books, ornaments, pictures, clothes, CDs and even a fondue set etc etc.
Local crafts were exhibited; homemade soaps by Rosa, soaps by Carolina &Virgilio, handmade jewellery by Ana Isabel and wooden carvings by Peter Higham, who also gave wood turning demonstrations. Jenny Wright, therapist gave reflexology and massages, which I can thoroughly recommend.
Although we had two short sharp rain showers, they didn’t dampen people’senthusiasm for the day and after briefly moving inside, returned outside to the sunshine.
The day concluded with a Darts Tournament organised by Geoff Tyler where sixteen individuals fiercely competed for the €.20cash prize. Sam Fullylove won the final with Tim Gallon as runner-up. El Pilon sponsored the wine for all the semi-finalists; Sam and Tim together with Scott McQuillon and Steve Napier.
At the time of going to press, the Cudeca tins are being counted at the Hospice and I am still collecting walker’s sponsor money. Two of the children; Carla Gray and Jack Watson deserve a special mention as between them they raised €. 450 sponsor money, well done! Please see July edition of Grapevine for total amount raised.
Days like this would not be possible without my fantastic team of helpers; twenty three at this event, the generosity of Inez and Enmanuel providing the venue and Geoff Murrell providing the entertainment of live music. Many, many thanks to you all.
Fundraising events such as Day for Life enable Cudeca to continue to provide adding life to days through their “special kind of caring” palliative care to over 6000 advanced cancer patients throughout the province of Malaga.
Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the day.
Cindy Jones
