An annual yoga charity event raised a staggering €26,000 thanks to various complementary initiatives held by the local community.
Yoga practitioners and enthusiasts joined the Saluting for Charity team at Breeze in Vale do Lobo on September 21, World Peace Day.
Adults and children were sponsored to do as many sun salutations as possible, with 108 rounds being their goal. A peace meditation ran parallel with the sun salutations for those who wished to participate without the physical challenge of the salutations. Other countries joined together on this day to unite with the event. Peace meditations took place in Spain and UK and sun salutations in the USA.
Last year’s event raised more than €8,000 and the goal this year was to reach €10,000. However, through sponsors, donations, raffle sales, T-shirt sales, and a pre-event lunch organised by B&W Events, €14,000 was raised.
One week before the event, Penny Rich, director of Shoot Portugal, contacted the Saluting for Charity team and announced that B&Q, a UK-based DIY and garden furniture store, had offered to donate all of their catalogue stock to charity. Over two weeks, Penny and her team dedicated their time to prepare and sell all the furniture which was stored in their warehouse near Estoi. Many items of furniture were donated to charities, and money made from sales was also donated. Penny and her team raised over €12,000.
Breeze Restaurant offered their pool terrace space for the event and sponsored the Saluting for Charity T-shirts, along with Lewis Andrews and Pro Paint. Birch Photography provided the photography as well as sponsoring the charity information booklets. Dunas Douradas Beach Club donated €1,000 and continues to support the event year after year.
Together, all the participants raised large amounts through sponsorship. The children were a true inspiration, asking older members of the community for sponsorships. Two of the children, Robin and Jake, determined to raise as much as they could, brought in more than €750.
Lulu Shanti, Lucy Cannon, Nicole Krandendonk, Sophie and Daisy Shemilt worked together as a team, receiving all the sponsorships, selling T-shirts and raffles on the morning of the event.
Saluting for Charity donated just over €5,200 to each charity. This year’s event was in honour of Peta Birch, who tragically lost her life earlier this year. Shortly after her death, the Peta Birch Community Association was set up by her family to continue her work. The charity supports three causes that Peta had dedicated much of her time and work for: the children of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia, including the Pirilampos and Gaivota in Albufeira; helping to provide medical and dental care for the Roma children in Albufeira areas; and shortly before her passing, ARC Horse Welfare was created, educating the community and providing horse owners with information regarding general horse care (www.petabirch.org)
Other charities to benefit from the event are: CASA, a support centre, providing food, clothing and necessary items for underprivileged families, elderly and the homeless across the Algarve; SIS – Little Miracles, which supports a special needs centre called REHAB 4 LIFEin Faro, providing rehabilitation and care for physically and mentally challenged children; Canil de São Francisco de Assis, an animal shelter in Loulé for dogs, cats and horses (with nearly 200 animals in the shelter, the sterilisation, medical bills and salaries are pushing the kennel into debt); and the Refúgio dos Burros animal sanctuary in Estombar. At present, volunteers are trying to raise enough money to buy the land to guarantee a permanent base for their rescued animals.
