Associação Obrigado Bombeiros’ successful first music event this May raised €2,250. This amount, together with €1,000, raised from the weekly quiz nights held by the Associação at the Quinta Bar in Figeirinha, near Silves, has been donated to the Silves Fire Truck Appeal, to help fund a new vehicle for Silves fire station.

The Lagos based English Freemasons of the Lodge of Discoveries No 9409 have donated nearly €900 of IT equipment and software to the Youth Centre (Lar de Jovens) in Lagos run by Centro de Assistência Social Lucinda Anino dos Santos (CASLAS). The Lodge of Discoveries is part of the group of English Freemasonry lodges in Portugal which in turn is part of the United Grand Lodge of England.

Rotary Club Estoi Palace International (RCEPI) has been helping the local Estoi School EB2/3 Poeta Emiliano da Costa for many years. On April 6th a dinner organised by RCEPI and the School Board was held at the school for the second year to help raise funds for the less privileged pupils.

Recent events organised by members of Almancil International Rotary Club (AIRC) in support of Associação Humanitária dos Doentes de Parkinson e Alzheimer (AHDPA) raised 2,000 euros. The Association’s day care centre, based in Vila Sol, Quarteira provides day care facilities and companionship for sufferers of these two diseases together with psycho social support programmes, physiotherapy support to families of sufferers. The staff includes two psychologists but also relies on volunteers who provide invaluable additional support.

On Saturday, 23rd March, the Florentinta Charity Fashion Show took place at Monte Vale d’Eguas Restaurant in Almancil. Over 150 people attended to watch our 12 glamourous models strut their stuff and showcase a selection of clothes available from Florentinta.

On the 16th of March RC Estoi Palace International (RCEPI) organised a series of career talks for the students at the Poet Emiliano da Costa School in Estoi. Around 90 students from the 8th and 9th grade attended to listen to talks on various career opportunities.

Associação Obrigado Bombeiros, now a legal charity, recently visited the Silves and Lagoa fire stations, where donations from the very successful auction held September last year, have been used to fund lifesaving equipment and protective clothing for local firefighters.
The €7,300.00 raised in 2018 by Associação Obrigado Bombeiros, at their auction event at Casa Algarve in Porches, was split equally between Silves and Lagoa Bombeiros.

Seventy happy wine lovers packed the garrafeira of Restaurant Veneza on Wednesday 28th, February, to learn about the wines of Quinta do Quetzal, enjoy Veneza’s delightful food and raise funds to help registered association Associaçao Alerta de Incendio Florestal (known as Alerta in English). Organised by the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship, Rotarians were joined by representative of Alerta, members of WineMine Club and a large group of friends of Luís and Ana Cardoso who came from Lagos in a coach!