There are nights that go far beyond a celebration. Nights when generosity takes on a face, feelings turn into commitment, and solidarity shows that when it comes to helping others, no distance or effort is too great. Such was the night last Saturday at the Restaurant of the Casa-Museo del Campesino, where the Association of Oncohematological Families of Lanzarote (A.F.O.L.) held its XXII Charity Dinner, framed within a particularly significant date: the 25th anniversary of its founding.
Four hundred diners filled the allowed capacity. Four hundred beating souls, four hundred hearts willing to share an evening where gastronomy, music, and joy had a common denominator: supporting a cause that, in one way or another, concerns us all.
The evening began with welcoming words from the president of A.F.O.L., Carmen Arrocha Hernández, a fighter, assertive, and deeply committed woman to an association that, under her leadership and alongside her management team, continues to work tirelessly to ensure that oncological patients and their families can face the difficult path of illness with greater resources, care, and hope.
In her speech, Carmen Arrocha made it clear that the reason for A.F.O.L.'s existence is to seek all possible paths and means to obtain the resources and services that patients and their families need. A task born from the conviction that tenacity, courage, and companionship are fundamental to improving the quality of life for those facing such a harsh illness.
Twenty-five years of struggle, commitment, and hope
"These 25 years feel like yesterday," stated the president. A quarter of a century in which there have been hard, happy, unstable, hopeful, and delicate moments. Because, as she recalled, the seagulls that symbolize the association have no borders to fly. Nor does the strength of those who, day after day, maintain their commitment, their dreams, their projects, their emotions, and their desire to keep going firm.
During these twenty-five years, A.F.O.L. has been building an important support network for patients and their families, offering services tailored to their needs: psychological, social, and pedagogical care, home assistance, physical exercise, leisure activities, prevention and information, loan of orthopedic material, and volunteering, among other services.
A silent labor on many occasions, but essential. Because behind each service there are people, families, worries, uncertainties, and, above all, the need not to feel alone when life forces one to face one of its most difficult moments.
The president also recalled one of the achievements made possible by the association's perseverance: its demand for the Canary Islands Health Service to incorporate the mammary areola tattooing service, a service of enormous importance for many women who have overcome breast cancer and who find in this procedure a help to complete their physical and emotional recovery process.
Public healthcare with more resources, shorter waits, and cutting-edge technology
But if anything became especially clear during Carmen Arrocha's speech, it was that A.F.O.L. is not content with what has been achieved. There are many needs to be met and too many demands that continue to await a response.
Among the priority objectives, the president highlighted the need for a PET (positron emission tomography) scanner, an imaging diagnostic technology of enormous utility in oncology and other pathologies, as well as a gamma camera and the renewal of certain hospital equipment.
She also called for urgent measures to reduce waiting lists, decrease the saturation of diagnostic tests, improve emergency protocols, facilitate patient access to a second medical opinion outside their own hospital, and incorporate new pharmacological advances into treatments.
To this, she added the need to strengthen research and have a multidisciplinary team specialized in oncology, because the patient needs comprehensive care that considers all dimensions of their life.
And it is precisely here where the advocacy work of A.F.O.L. acquires its greatest dimension. It is not only about accompanying the patient during their process, but also about defending their right to receive quick, specialized, and quality healthcare, without endless waiting lists becoming an additional obstacle to their illness.
When we talk about cancer, time has extraordinary value. Having an accurate diagnosis, accessing the necessary tests as soon as possible, and receiving the attention of the corresponding specialist can make a fundamental difference in the care process. Therefore, having advanced technology, sufficient professionals, and adequate resources should not be seen as a privilege, but as an essential need of our public healthcare system.
A.F.O.L. has been raising its voice for years to demand what is missing in our hospitals and in our society. A struggle that does not respond to particular interests, but to the defense of the rights of patients and their families.
Carmen Arrocha also did not want to miss the opportunity to address political representatives. She recalled that, over these 25 years, the association has informed, warned, and advocated to different political leaders about the numerous existing deficiencies, the needs that remain unresolved, and the improvements that are yet to come.
An advocacy that, as she acknowledged with evident concern, is beginning to be exhausting when the demands are repeated over and over again without receiving the response they deserve.
Her message was clear: society needs facts, commitments, and solutions. Patients cannot continue to wait indefinitely for resources that are fundamental to their health and well-being.
The president concluded with a reflection that perfectly summarizes the spirit of these twenty-five years of work: health is the most important thing we have, and we must continue fighting for a dignified, effective public healthcare system that is up to people's needs.
A dinner where generosity also had its reward
After the president's words, the staff of the Restaurant of the House-Museum of the Farmer began to serve dinner to the four hundred attendees, who enjoyed a pleasant gastronomic offering. The sweet ending came with a delicious passion fruit and cheese semifreddo.
Once dinner was over, one of the most anticipated moments of the night arrived: the raffles and the shower of gifts and surprises, made possible thanks to the generosity of numerous anonymous individuals, establishments, and companies that, once again this year, wanted to join this solidarity initiative.
Each contribution, each gift, and each collaboration represented much more than a gesture of generosity. They were a new demonstration that A.F.O.L. has the affection and support of a society that recognizes its work and understands the importance of keeping this cause alive.
Music provided the finishing touch to an unforgettable night
And as every great celebration deserves to end with joy, the evening concluded with the extraordinary and lively performance of two great singers: Ángela Luque and Daniel Móises.
Both artists, exuding charm, professionalism, and a magnificent connection with the audience, managed to get many of the attendees to leave their seats for a few moments to surrender to the rhythm of songs that are part of the musical memory of several generations.
Well-known and remembered songs such as "A quién le importa," "La puerta de Alcalá," "Eva María," "Como te extraño mi amor," and "Cuéntame," among others, were received with enthusiasm. The attendees sang, danced, and enjoyed a performance that transformed the hall into a true celebration of togetherness and joy.
Ángela Luque and Daniel Móises ensured that music provided the perfect finishing touch to a night where emotions, friendship, and solidarity went hand in hand.
Twenty-five years later, solidarity continues to fly
The XXII Charity Dinner of A.F.O.L. once again demonstrated that Lanzarote is an island capable of uniting when a cause deserves collective effort. Four hundred diners, numerous collaborating companies, anonymous individuals, volunteers, and a committed management team made possible a night where the true protagonist was the desire to help.
But behind the celebration there is a reality that we must not forget: thousands of daily efforts, many hours of selfless work, and a constant struggle so that people affected by cancer receive the attention they need and deserve.
A.F.O.L. turns 25 years old. Twenty-five years reaching out, accompanying families, offering support, and demanding health improvements. Twenty-five years reminding institutions that behind every diagnosis there is a person, a family, feelings, and an inalienable right to receive dignified, effective, and unhindered attention without unjustified delays.
May this celebration not only be an anniversary to remember, but also a new impetus to keep moving forward. Because there are still goals to achieve, resources to obtain, and rights to defend.
And as long as there is a family that needs support, a patient waiting for a diagnostic test, or a person needing the attention of a specialist, A.F.O.L. will continue to be there, with its seagulls taking flight, its strength intact, and hope as its banner.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.