Toni Pérez advocates maintaining "the essence of our festivities"
Angélica Morenilla and Daniela Talavera, crowned queens of Benidorm Patron Saint Festivities
More than 1,500 people attended the event which brought together all the festive entities of the town to pay homage to the new queens. The mayor, Toni Pérez; the Councilor for Fiestas, Jesús Carrobles; and the majority of the municipal corporation. Together with them, the national deputy, Agustín Almodóbar; and the provincial, José Ramón González de Zárate, who, with his presence, showed their support for the queens and the Commission chaired by Vicente Solaz.
Along with the queens, the 15 ladies that make up the children's court of Daniela Talavera and the 19 of Angélica Morenilla, received the sashes that accredit them as members of the courts of honor and, later, the outgoing queens said goodbye, knowing of duty fulfilled, of their 365 days of reign.
Chloé D'Hebboudt addressed the outgoing Queen Mayor, thanking her for the months she lived and recognizing her as "a sister to me". She also had words for the previous president, José Vicente Fuster, for giving them "a magical year" and, of course, for her entire court of honor. "Together -she said- you are an explosion".
After the Child Queen, it was the turn of Aila Merenciano, who recalled "the 'selfies' with Toni" [Pérez] that immortalized all the stages of her reign; and the support of the Department of Fiestas, which has allowed them to live "a year full of emotion". Merenciano addressed her ladies as 'dancing queens' and made it clear that the year they had spent together will be "an indelible mark" in their lives.
Proclamation of Dolores Llinares Zaragoza
Dolores Llinares Zaragoza, economist, and businesswoman from Benidorm was the queen of the 1983 FMP, she has been for 40 years now and, among other activities, a waitress for the virgin of Mare de Déu del Sofratge, she has been in charge of reading the proclamation that inaugurates the reign of Morenilla and Talavera.
The town crier has defended the linking of Benidorm families with her festivities and advocated that "every citizen who likes the Festes Majors Patronals" be an organizing member "at least once in her life".
In her speech, she defended the role of women in the party and how, long ago, when the man spent long periods away for his seafaring work, he was left in the care of the family. Dolores Llinares has defended the leading role of the queens as "maximum" representatives of Benidorm women.
Finally, the crier advocated that "the essence of the festival" not be lost, which, she recalled, is in honor of the patron saints: Santa Anna and Sant Jaume and, therefore, "everything must revolve around them ”.
Vicente Solaz greeted the attendees and addressed the queens and ladies to remind them that "365 days go by in a breath." So “open your eyes – he insisted – and enjoy the moment” and the newly inaugurated reign. Finally, he thanked the work of the organizing members that make up the Commission, and described them as people "with a big heart" and "without limits".
The last intervention of the afternoon was that of the mayor, Toni Pérez, who congratulated the new queens and their courts "from the bottom of my heart", reminding them of "the great responsibility and pride" that "representing the women of Benidorm" entails.
Pérez also congratulated Solaz for organizing the event, and the festive entities and people gathered and asked for the "biggest applause" for Angélica and Daniela. The mayor opted to maintain "the recovery of the essence" of the FMP.
Finally, the municipal corporation in the first place, and all the festive entities of Benidorm, paraded across the stage with the greatest exponents of Benidorm festivities, our queens, Angélica Morenilla and Daniela Talavera.
