The Day Centre serving the village of São Marcos da Serra near Silves and surrounding area will become one of the most advanced centres in Portugal, says the centre’s director, Mário Augusto Franco.
For the centre, which currently plays host to around 20 elderly people on a daily basis, is planning a 650,000 euro improvement to provide full home facilities.
The building project, which is being financed by up to 85 per cent of the capital cost by the Portuguese government and Algarve Social Services, is just awaiting rubber stamping and the finalisation of plans.
The centre, and its associated supporters, of which the Rotary Clube de Silves is one, is pledged to raising 15 per cent of the project’s cost.
Fundraising activities hit a high note on Sunday, June 10, with the Rotary Club holding a Midsummer Jazz Night. The venue was the Vale de Pinta Golf Club near Lagoa, where a superb meal was provided with an ambiance to match.
Algarve Rotarians, with a strong support from British residents and visitors, danced the night away to the strain of the New Orleans Jazz Band.
The evening was full of surprises for the Zickler family from Sesmarias as mother Stefanie received public recognition of her birthday as the band and company sang Happy Birthday.
 Lucky Lucas Zickler proudly holds the 174 euros cash he won in the 50/50 raffle. He is pictured with Silves Rotary Clube President Isabel Flores and Edward Melvin, who picked out the winning envelope. |
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And if that was not a treat enough, later in the evening her elder son Lucas was fortunate to win 174 euros in the night’s 50/50 raffle.
The 88 guests dug deep into their pockets by contributing to the raffle and bidding was brisk for the night’s auctioned items. A total of 295 euros was raised from the sale of one original oil painting purchased by Edward Melvin and two golfing vouchers for use at the Carvoeiro Golfe golfing complexes at Vale da Pinta, Gramacho or the new Silves course.
The Silves voucher found a proud owner in West Wirral Rotarian John Jones with Belfast East Rotarian Victor Haslett carrying off the voucher to play at any of the three courses.
Spirits were high throughout the night, the end of which came all too soon, but a great night was had by all and over 1,200 euros raised to set the centre’s ball rolling.
As the current Rotary year ends this month, the club is planning a visit to São Marcos to hand over a cheque towards the project. The 1,200 euros will certainly be enhanced to give them a good start.
Rotarian organiser of the event, Herbert Chatters, thanked the Golf Club, the band and the four sponsoring local companies who once again helped offset costs.
He said: “Rotary is once again indebted to Sheena Rawcliffe and The Resident for their continued support of cash, publicity and services and to supermarket chain Intermarché, telecommunications company GlobalTalk and Lagoa’s Centro de Jardinagem, the Pina Garden Centre.
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