The Association of Oncohematological Families of Lanzarote (AFOL) celebrated its XX Charity Dinner on Saturday night at the restaurant of the Casa-Museo del Campesino. This meeting, highly anticipated by family, friends and supporters of AFOL, sold out the 400 places allowed by the center's management. It also had a zero row to receive donations from anonymous people.
The event began at 8:30 p.m., with welcome words from its president, Carmen Arrocha, who was very excited to thank the attendees and also all those who donated through the zero row. She also addressed the commercial firms that have collaborated with the Association for 20 years. The president said in her speech that "more than a dinner, it was a meeting to share, a bond of union where at least once a year we meet again and together have a very pleasant time, talking around the table." Thus, she recalled that from its beginnings it was projected with a fundraising purpose.
This year, about to end, has been "very intense", continued Arrocha, who stressed that "without neglecting the services we offer: psychological, social, pedagogical, home care, leisure, prevention, volunteering, etc. with all the professionalism and affection of our workers. The struggle to claim our needs was, has been and will continue to be tireless. Every year, we asked our Canarian Government, parliamentarians, and councilors, health institutions not to put obstacles in our demands, because they were also theirs; some we have achieved, others have remained in filing cabinets and in the "yes, yes, yes they will be done".
That is why AFOL has continued to build, support, and request their needs. "We look for the way and the means to obtain the resources they require; With tenacity and courage, it can be achieved, such as the completion of the long-awaited radiotherapy bunker, and its operation has given immense joy and well-being to cancer patients and families. To commemorate it, AFOL commissioned a mural painting by Iván Tempra. Under the title Peace in the midst of the Storm, this work reflects the course of a diagnosis and the search for light to reach the healing of this disease. It is located at the entrance to the Radiotherapy machine.
According to AFOL, the collaboration with the radiotherapy team is "continuous and very satisfactory". The demands before the Management, Area Directorate, Palliative Care and institutions are also "fluid and necessary to continue advancing in our objectives. These and many more to list", detailed Carmen Arrocha, president of AFOL in her welcome speech.
The night, which was very pleasant, included a section for the raffle of gifts donated by several commercial firms, always willing to collaborate with this cause, there were also a few minutes for music by the seven young members of the Parranda Pal Porrón, who offered a varied repertoire, managing in a few minutes that the public left their seats filling the improvised dance floor, putting the finishing touch to a night of meeting where once again the solidarity of all managed to raise a total of 6,000 euros.