Fun@Pal event got €3,500 for equipment for the Special olympics swimmers from Andorra

The secretary of the International Club of Andorra (Pyrenees) John Pinnell speaks about the results of Fun@Pal 2017:

“The International Club runs two major fund raising activities for charity. The more traditional one is the Fira Benèfica (Charity Fair) which is run at the end of November each year as a Christmas Fair, and this event started over 25 years ago as a church christmas fair and then gradually became an English-Speaking Community event before being coming under the auspices of the International Club.

The second annual event is called Fun@Pal and is a day out at Pal ski station using their summer events equipment and space to hold a fun day out for families, and this event started five years ago from a brainwave of one of our members.

Fun@Pal 2017:

This year we built on the success of the 2016 event with lots of help from Vallnord, the ski station manager at Pal/Arinsal, and with the active “behind then scenes” support of La Massana parish and its Consol Major (Mayor) which owns the ski station. We planned a day of children’s games, tug of war contests, a dog show, food and refreshments, face painting for the children, tombola for adults and a lot of fresh air.

Well – there was certainly a lot of fresh air as a string cold wind blew all day and at one point lifted one of our little event tents right off the ground and away. At first light there were snow flurries and then heavy cloud, which was chased away by the wind and allowed anybody able to find a spot in the sun and out of the wind to feel that the weather was just fine. Luckily, just about all Andorra residents have anoraks and parkas and are used to being out in weather. What was a little odd was to see some people in shorts. The wind seemed to give everybody a good appetite and so cakes and snacks and mountain rice and hot dogs sold well. The children enjoyed themselves regardless of the wind and only the parents watching them at times looked chilly. Meanwhile the dogs seemed to catch then wind and frolic more than ever – then dog show was notable for a lack of disciplined dogs.

Our target was to raise €3,500 for equipment for the Special olympics swimmers from Andorra. We succeeded in meeting our target.

We have also been invited back at the same time next year by both Vallnord and the Consol Major of La Massana.

All we need now are volunteers to help, bright ideas to expand the show and good weather on the day!”

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