The event will commence next Friday, 18th July, at 22:00 hours, departing from Plaza del Adelantado
The Ayuntamiento of La Laguna hosted the official presentation on Tuesday, 15th July, for the sixth edition of the Solidarity Challenge ‘Memorial Rosa – Friends for Crohn’s’, an event aimed at raising awareness and supporting individuals diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, traversing 90 kilometres filled with solidarity. The event will commence next Friday, 18th July, at 22:00 hours, departing from Plaza del Adelantado. The finish is expected to be on Saturday, 19th July, at 12:00 hours in Plaza de El Médano, in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona.
Present at the event’s official presentation were the Councillor for Social Welfare and Quality of Life of the Ayuntamiento of La Laguna, María Cruz, accompanied by the organiser and participant of the event, José Francisco Tejera Reyes; the President of ACCU Canarias, Fuensanta Amador; the Councillor for Social Services of the Ayuntamiento of Granadilla de Abona, Rubén García; the Managing Director of INCABE, Gonzalo Ruiz; and the regular runner in the event, Vianney Morales.
The Councillor for Social Welfare and Quality of Life of the Ayuntamiento of La Laguna, María Cruz, emphasised the strong commitment of the Municipality through the Autonomous Sports Organisation and the Social Welfare Area towards this cause. “It is not just about running but, as the slogan of this edition conveys, running to raise awareness and awareness to understand. A simple yet powerful phrase that perfectly encapsulates the spirit with which this challenge was created and continues to grow: to give visibility to a reality that remains unknown to many,” she pointed out.
The organiser and also participant of the event, José Francisco Tejera Reyes, explained that this solidarity challenge “was a bit of a madness that emerged shortly after Rosa’s passing. We wanted to pay tribute to her through a charitable initiative while also bringing society closer to the knowledge and understanding of this disease. Today, this challenge has solidified thanks to the ongoing support from the municipalities of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and Granadilla.”
Furthermore, Vianney Morales, a regular runner in the event, took up the baton from Tejera Reyes and highlighted the importance of the logistics and support necessary to carry out such a demanding yet charitable challenge. “It is an event where, at many moments, we feel that we can’t go on, but the motivation that drives us and the fight that it represents are powerful enough to keep us going. Giving up is not an option.”
The President of ACCU Canarias, Fuensanta Amador, expressed her gratitude to “all the institutions and organisations collaborating in this solidarity challenge,” while sending “a kiss to the heavens for our colleague Rosa, who sadly passed away due to Crohn’s disease but whose memory drives and guides us in this initiative.” She also added that “this is a silent disease, and as a society, we must become aware that it is a problem that affects us all. There are many forms of disability, and those that are invisible also deserve recognition and normalisation. We must fight harder to give them visibility and break the silence that surrounds them.”
For his part, the Councillor for Social Services of the Ayuntamiento of Granadilla de Abona, Rubén García, stated that “our municipality will be the endpoint, where we will be waiting for the runners and where this solidarity challenge will culminate. We are very proud to be able to collaborate and contribute our part to the visibility of this disease. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to this cause and to all those who live daily with this reality.”
The last intervention was made by the Managing Director of INCABE, Gonzalo Ruiz, who concluded that “it is a pleasure for us to collaborate, once again, with this solidarity challenge and actively contribute to the visibility of this disease. We will continue to support initiatives like this, which not only promote solidarity and sport but also provide hope and support to those in need.”
