CÁRITAS CHARITY CHRISTMAS BAZAAR

“The Cáritas Christmas Bazaar was created in 2009. Back then, I was a talk-show host on Onda Cero, on the programme directed by Concha Montes. Commenting on what could be done in the Palacio de Congresos, I came up with the idea of a Charity Christmas Bazaar, in which the whole city could participate.

Sagrario Fermoso, the director of the Palacio de Congresos at the time, contacted me to suggest that I should do it. I told her that I’d start thinking about how to go about it, but that in order to carry it out, I’d need Ana Bocanegra to get involved. From then on, we formed an exceptional team: Belén Fernández, Mar Moro, María Jesús Crespo, Virginia Valenti, Ada Lobato, Carmen Mena, Encarna Cantero, Carmen Quesada, and a long list of others who joined the project.

The following year, the Bazaar became a forward-looking project and continued to grow with the incorporation of a group of people led by Carmen Taillefer, Teresa Gancedo and Selma Benthem, among others. La Paz Dinner, the restaurants and 100% Caritas stalls were all a great success.

For five years I had the honour of running the bazaar as chairwoman. Today the Caritas Christmas Bazaar, chaired by Antonio Belón, is a consolidated project and an important initiative that helps to better the lives of many people.

As founding president, I’d like to congratulate the teams that have succeeded me, on having improved the Christmas Bazaar, and taken it to the highest levels of objectives, effort and dedication.”