Cáritas Christmas Bazaar opens in late November
Those responsible for the charity presented the novelties of this tenth edition with the Mayoress of the city
Marbella, November 21, 2014: Yesterday afternoon the press conference was held for the tenth edition of the Cáritas pre-Christmas market in the Palace of Congresses and Exhibitions in Marbella on the 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th of this month, open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm without interruption.
In support of the event the Mayoress of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz, who wanted to congratulate the bazaar “for their dedication and meticulous work” noted that 80% of the annual resources of Cáritas Marbella came from this pre-Christmas bazaar. She was also keen to stress that “all operational departments of the palace and the town hall would be available for the development of the event”. The Mayoress invited members of the public to attend the bazaar and show a sense of solidarity to the city whilst declaring that the market will be constantly supported by the government team and herself, on a lighter note saying: “I am one more helping hand, if I have to put the apron on I will wear it.” Mary Carmen Taillefer, amongst the board of directors, demonstrated that this event “is established in order to improve the situation of those in need throughout the municipality”, while Manuel Taillefer, stressed the need to “capture foreign members of the public this year.”
At yesterday’s meeting, those responsible for the charity highlighted the increase in the allocation of the number of stalls that will this year become a total of 93 compared to 53 in 2013. Of these stands, 72 belong to businesses and professionals in the area and 21 are Cáritas own. They also expressed their desire to overcome the revenue collection figure of €108,000 along with the 6,851 attendees that they reached last year. Antonio Belón, chairman of the bazaar, took the floor to speak of the novelties of this year’s event, focusing particularly on the aim to increase the family atmosphere of the occasion, particularly through the expansion of the children’s playgrounds. The options of fun for both adults and children includes a raffle, along with a bodeguita, children’s cafe, a bouncy castle and a “Magic Dome” (an inflatable dome in which film projections will be made).
Amongst the stands you can find all kinds of items perfect for Christmas gifts at very affordable prices, toys, clothing, decorations, food, etc. Some of these stands will sell gifts that are received directly from Cáritas. All will be distributed in an attractive way for visitors to enjoy whilst the market itself will feature a number of nursery areas in order to allow parents to make purchases more conveniently.
The primary objective of the “Cáritas Christmas Bazaar” is to raise funds for this organisation that fights against social injustice, especially poverty and exclusion. Cáritas is an NGO belonging to the Catholic Church acting both nationally and internationally. Locally, from their seven offices in Marbella, Cáritas work to help the most vulnerable groups in the area, focusing particularly on areas such as unemployment, lack of financial resources and social and family disarray.
Entrance tickets to the exhibition (at the cost of only one euro) are fully allocated to social projects of Cáritas in Marbella, a percentage of the takings from the three restaurants at the market will also be given, as well as the money raised from the rental of the stands themselves (€200-€250 each).
Also during the four-day bazaar charity dinners will be organised in the hope of increasing the effectiveness of this cooperative multi-event. The Guilds Dinner will be on Thursday the 27th, The Peace Dinner on Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th, the gala of the Brotherhood of the Knights of Yuste will take place.
Cáritas encourages everyone to attend the Christmas Bazaar in order to have a great time while making charitable efforts. Volunteers and organisers have said they will feel extremely rewarded should this year’s event be a success so the organisation are able to continue to fund and get help for thousands of families in need.
Finally, please note that there is a zero row bazaar for those who cannot attend. However, those who still wish to make a contribution to Cáritas can do so through UNICAJA into the following bank account: 2103-3040-32-0030009825.
