The San Ginés festivals are now officially underway. The José Ramírez Cerdá Park hosted the inaugural event of the patron saint festivals of Arrecife tonight, which featured the Lanzarote fighter Hecher Sosa as the protagonist, who delivered a deeply personal and emotional opening speech in which he spoke of his roots, his family, his sporting career, and, above all, the bond he maintains with the city that saw him grow.
The speaker was supported by his family and friends, as well as numerous residents who wanted to accompany him at a particularly significant moment in his career. The event, presented by Carmen Nieves Pérez, also included the presence of the mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, the deputy mayor and councilor for Festivals, Echedey Eugenio, members of the municipal corporation, and representatives of various public administrations, who shared the official start of the San Ginés 2026 festivals with the public.
“Arrecife is my home. Arrecife is my people,” stated Hecher Sosa at the beginning of an opening speech in which he recounted memories of his childhood, his walks along the Charco with his mother, summers with his sisters at the Puente de las Bolas, and the first steps of a sporting career that has led him to compete on major international stages and achieve his dream of reaching the UFC.
During his speech, the fighter wanted to assert that being born and raised on a small island should never be a limit for pursuing big dreams. “Living in a small place doesn't mean having to dream small,” he said, remembering all those who believed in him when there were no spotlights, interviews, or big stages, and there was only “a kid from Arrecife” who wanted to go far.
One of the most emotional moments of the opening speech came when Hecher Sosa highlighted the role of his family, friends, coaches, and teammates in the journey he has taken. “Even though one enters a cage alone, no one gets anywhere alone,” he stated before thanking everyone who has accompanied him throughout his career. “This island made me. Arrecife made me,” he added.
The town crier also dedicated part of his words to talking about the identity of Arrecife and its neighbors, vindicating a city that, beyond its streets and neighborhoods, is built by the people who work, study, undertake, care for, train, support their families, and by those who arrived from other places and decided to make it their home.
His final message before officially declaring the festivities inaugurated was especially aimed at the youngest. Hecher encouraged those who have a dream that may seem too big or difficult not to let anyone convince them that their place of origin determines how far they can go. “I had one too. And I left here,” he recalled.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, highlighted that Hécher Sosa's presence as town crier reinforces the union of the festivities with all the neighborhoods of Arrecife. “Hecher represents, like few others, that spirit of getting ahead and succeeding from a neighborhood in Arrecife: effort, the ability to dream, to fight for what one wants, and, above all, the pride of knowing where we come from, like Hecher from Los Alonso. Hécher has achieved something very special: giving voice and words to the feelings and memories of many neighbors who, like him, feel that Arrecife is their home, and that from competitive sports one can be a great reference in Spain and in the World.”
The mayor invited all residents to enjoy the patron saint festivities of Arrecife, where the traditional atmosphere of the famous Sangineles has been recovered in this term.
For his part, the deputy mayor and councilor for Festivities, Echedey Eugenio, valued the choice of the town crier and the response of the citizens during this inaugural event. “We wanted San Ginés to begin by talking about Arrecife, about our people and our roots, and Hecher knows how to do it in an extraordinary way. It has been a sincere, close, and emotional proclamation, and I believe that all of us who have been here have felt that a part of our own history was also in his words.”
Echedey Eugenio also thanked the participation of the citizenry in this first major event of the festivities and encouraged neighbors and visitors to enjoy a program designed for all audiences. “Now it’s time for exactly what Hécher asked us to do: meet, dance, laugh, and celebrate. San Ginés is already here and we want these festivities to be a meeting point for all of Arrecife again.”
The town crier closed his speech by adopting the language of the fights that have marked his sporting career. “The bell rings and there’s no turning back,” he said before launching his particular call to celebration from the stage: “Arrecife… LET THE BELL RING!”.
With Hecher Sosa’s “Long live San Ginés!, Long live Arrecife! and Long live Lanzarote!” and his invitation for the party to begin, the San Ginés 2026 festivities were officially inaugurated, which in the coming days will fill Arrecife with music, tradition, culture, sport, leisure, and activities for all ages.
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