In the city of the Tower 18th National Solidarity Meeting organized by ANPAS
PISA – Beyond 1600 volunteers coming from all over they gathered in the Pisan area from Friday 24th until Sunday 26th May 2024 to participate in the 18th “National Solidarity Meeting” organized by ANPAS (National Association of Public Assistance) in collaboration with the ANPAS Tuscany Regional Committee and Civil Protection in order to propose – involving both the Carmignani Educational Center of the University of Pisa and the Sala Regia of Palazzo Gambacorti, as well as the Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Regional Park for the exercises – courses of First Aid training, book presentations, documentary screenings, an exhibition and dexterity competitions, all to best celebrate the 120 years since the foundation of ANPAS, as well as conferences and historical and institutional insights, for an event that has returned to take place in Tuscany.
by Giovanni Manenti
One of these events was also added Exhibition entitled “Always close by” – at the Carmignani Educational Center – created on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of its foundation by ANPAS which, for many years, has dedicated commitment and resources to the conservation and enhancement of its cultural heritage (archival and photographic), with a careful selection of images, through which we wanted to restore the disruptive force of volunteering in knowing how to always stay close to the communities, to the people rescued daily and between volunteers, in a relationship of closeness, while Sunday morning, meeting at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and parade in the historic center before arriving in Piazza dei Cavalieri for the greetings and thanks from both the National President of ANPAS Niccolo Mancini and the Regional President of ANPAS Tuscany Dimitri Bettini, and the representatives of the institutions interested in the event, namely the President of the Regional Council of Tuscany Antonio Mazzeothe President of the Province of Pisa Massimiliano Angorithe Mayor of the Municipality of Pisa Michele Conti and the President of the Park AuthorityLorenzo Bani, who did not fail to underline the importance of the commitment of the Public Assistance volunteers, giving them sincere praise for the daily activity carried out.
At the end of the event, the National President of ANPAS Niccolò Manciniexpressed his full satisfaction with the success of the event, underlining: “It was a great emotion to have managed to bring over 1600 volunteers from all over Italy to Pisa and who in these three days made themselves available for training and in-depth moments on the concepts and current issues on rescue and assistance that ANPAS now has been carrying on every day for 120 years, both in daily activities and on the occasion of extraordinary events, which has allowed us to live a wonderful experience where, in addition to the technical part linked to the skills and development of the Movement and the aforementioned themes, a great aggregation and community building is created among those present“.
“The happiest note“, concludes Niccolò Mancini, “derives from the participation of many young people who accompanied and were together with people of all ages and backgrounds, which truly represents an immense satisfaction for a Movement which today has over 100 thousand Volunteers and over 500 thousand Members and which therefore needs everything the possible support from the Communities to continue to be alongside the citizens, which allows me, in my capacity as National President and with a minimum of pride, to extend the greatest thanks to all the volunteers of both sexes who dedicate so much of their lives for the benefit of others, from which they derive an equally great benefit for themselves“.
Words of praise for those who carry out this voluntary activity also come from President of the Regional Council of Tuscany Antonio Mazzeowho highlights: “A day of celebration took place here in Pisa, with an orange tide (the color of the volunteers’ uniforms, ed.) which first invaded the San Rossore Park and then the splendid Piazza dei Cavalieri, testifying to how Volunteering represents the beating heart of our Region, the red heart that beats in Tuscany and without them we would not be able to carry out many of the local services, which is why the most sincere thanks must go to them as the institutions are often not up to the tasks they undertake carried out, and in this regard I like to remember how this year the “Tuscany Festival” was dedicated to a great Priest and educator such as Don Lorenzo Milani who, in his motto “I take care and I hold out my hand” is all the work, history and commitment of Volunteering“.
A three-day event which was also part of the event which took place on Saturday 25 May, namely “The Emergency Room Olympics” organized by the Italian Red Cross, a double event which therefore made the Mayor Michele Conti who commented as follows: “these were two highly significant events to give the right and deserved prominence to the World of Volunteering, the importance of which we all understood during the period characterized by the health emergency and which is still confirmed today when there are situations that require protect the health and safety of citizens, which is why I believe that these three days of presence of the volunteers in Pisa were a worthy recognition for their daily activity and to which goes my sincere thanks on behalf of the whole community. Municipal administration and the entire citizenry“.
Last modified: May 26, 2024
