Doble Amor pays tribute to its founders with the relocation of the statue of the Virgin and the remodeling of the garden

Doble Amor day activity centre today paid tribute to the six founders of the association that gave rise to the centre. The tribute coincided with the unveiling of the new location for the statue of the Virgin Mary, which had previously stood next to the ficus trees, and also with the renovation of the centre's garden. Mayor Toni Pérez attended the event, accompanied by the Councillor for Social Welfare, Ángela Zaragozí, and several members of the city council.

The president of Doble Amor, José Luis Calvo, began the ceremony by stating, “Today we commemorate two things.” Firstly, the new location of the statue, which had to be moved because its previous spot was in danger of falling due to the roots of the ficus trees. It has now been placed in the newly renovated garden, thanks to the collaboration of the municipal technical services, who “have done an exceptional job.”

Calvo also expressed his gratitude for the donations received, especially from organisations like Lions Club and Rotary Club, which, along with the funds raised at the Solidarity Cross-Country Race, will allow them to "make improvements to our van so it can transport wheelchair users, in addition to improvements to the garden."

Following this, a tribute was held with the unveiling of a plaque on the statue bearing the names of the six founders of the association back in 1972: Andrés Ventura González Lledó ‘Fargo’, Mariano Martín Cruz, Mariano Galán Pérez, Jaime Botella Mayor, Vitoriano Aracil Bernabéu, and Francisco Bodeguero López. Among those present at the ceremony were prominent figures closely associated with Doble Amor, such as businessman Enrique Ballester and Casimiro Vila, who served as its president for two decades and is now its honorary president. "This statue is a tribute to all of them and serves as a lasting reminder," concluded José Luis Calvo.

The tribute continued with the presentation of gifts made by the students of the centre to the families and descendants of the founders, as well as to Ballester and Vila. It concluded with a speech by Mayor Toni Pérez, who recalled some key dates in the centre's history, such as "those meetings at the Fargo hardware store." He also expressed his deep and personal connection to Doble Amor and thanked "everyone who makes Doble Amor what it is every day." Pérez recalled that the centre's directors had explained the problems with the statue of the Virgin Mary, "and, naturally, we got to work on it."

Finally, the mayor addressed the students of the centre, "the angels who are still here and for whom we must continue to strive." "You wouldn't forgive us if we didn't do everything possible to keep going," he concluded.