The Canterbury Maspalomas School gave 4.000 euros to the Canaria Pequeno Valiente Foundation

 

The students and teachers of the Canterbury Maspalomas School handed over this Thursday, coinciding with the International Day to Fight Childhood Cancer, a bank check of 4.000 euros to the Canaria Pequeno Valiente Foundation.

 

The solidarity event was held with a festive and educational tone in the shaded courtyard of the educational center, and was attended on behalf of the municipal government of San Bartolomé de Tirajana by the second deputy mayor, Elena Álamo Vega, the delegate councilor for Education and Culture, Ester Delgado Sánchez, and the Councilor for Social Services, Dimas Sarmiento Navarro.

 

 

 

 

The donation was raised through two actions that involved the entire educational community of the school. Specifically, a silent auction that 23 tourism companies in this municipality supported with gifts of different kinds, and a raffle of tickets for five euros that the students sold to family and neighbors to contribute to the solidarity cause.

 

The auction was organized as a teaching activity on the occasion of Numbers Day, and was held online from January 29 to February 2, through the center's educational platform (therefore “silent”) and had as its star piece the bidding on a 42 x 52 centimeter painting titled 'Bejeque', donated for the occasion by the indigenous painter and professor at the Luján Pérez School, Octavio del Toro, who personally participated in this event by giving his work to the winner.

 

Gabriela Villalva, 10 years old and a fifth grade student, decided on the painting (an acrylic on wood) after offering the highest bid. In total there were 172 euros that she took out of her own savings. “Since she was very little, she has always shown herself to be a very sentimental and supportive girl who loves all the arts. In fact, she received drawing and painting classes for four years at the Municipal Art School, with the painter Francisco Guillén. “She wants to be an archaeologist,” says her father.

 

Gabriela's enormous interest in obtaining the painting, as revealed by her mother, had as a precedent the study of indigenous art, with special attention to Canarian painters, which was carried out at school last year, on the occasion of Canary Islands Day. . Octavio del Toro was one of the painters who were studied.

 

Although her mother is trying to convince her to have the painting placed with honors in the living room of the family home, the 'Bejeque' that Octavio del Toro painted in 2014 will be hung on one of the walls of Gabriela's room, the fort where she treasures his own fabrics. 

 

The painter, who is currently exhibiting a traveling exhibition of his 'Harimaguadas' at the Agáldar Museum, in the northern municipality, and who will later tour other municipalities on the Island, values ​​the interest that schoolchildren are showing in his work. “I think it's great, because the more you know the better, but I'm much more satisfied with his effort to learn about Canarian painting and art in general,” he said.

 

 

 

 

For a better world

 

The vice president of Pequeno Valiente, Monserrat Sánchez, thanked the Canterbury Maspalomas school for the initiative. “This work that they have carried out with the collaboration of the municipality's companies is admirable. Thank you with all my heart for so much solidarity and empathy. With this money you can do many things, you can fulfill many childhood dreams,” she said in reference to the boys and girls sick with cancer and their families, who receive care through the Foundation's volunteer work. 

 

On behalf of the school, a teacher revealed that learning goes beyond the walls of the classrooms. “It's about looking to the future and inspiring children to have a positive impact on the world tomorrow (…) children of any age can show compassion and solidarity to make the world a little better. They understand the importance of contributing to their community and being a helping hand when others are going through difficult times. Making someone smile and have special memories is what will turn them into amazing, respectful citizens of the future, striving to improve the world one step at a time. Let us hope that the effort made by our children, some as young as three, inspires everyone to step up and make a difference,” she stated.

 

Also representing the municipal government, Elena Álamo Vega highlighted “the supportive and kind nature of this surprising and admirable initiative, in which some very young children have proposed to help other children who are going through very complex and difficult personal and family situations. for cancer disease. The event has been very emotional and its objective a true life lesson," he said at the end of the event, after the students and teachers of the school sang the famous song 'We are the World' in chorus in perfect English.