Voices and faces of the real Malaga
The awards recognise the work of individuals, companies and institutions that have shown their ability to succeed
01.03.13 - 12:03 -
The recipients pose with the awards which were presented to them by the Junta de Andalucía. :: Álvaro Cabrera
A job well done deserves reward, and individual or collective effort for the benefit of the community deserves public recognition. For that reason, the regional government presents awards to coincide with the Day of Andalucía each year.
This year's recipients are the University of Malaga, the national indoor football team for the blind, Molletes San Roque (Antequera), Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria school in Torre de Benagalbón, the Regulatory Board of the Denomination of Origin of Malaga, Sierras de Malaga and Pasas de Malaga, the singer Anni B. Sweet, the Association of Plastic Arts in Malaga and El Pimpi winery. The honours were handed out this week in a ceremony which took place at the University.
The ceremony was opened by José Luis Ruiz Espejo, the Andalusian government's delegate in Malaga, and closed by the Junta de Andalucía's Minister for Culture, Luciano Alonso. It was attended by the senior public officals of the city, including the mayor, Francisco de la Torre.
In his speech, José Luis Ruiz Espejo said that the award-winners “give a voice and face to the real Malaga, that of effort and the ability to succeed; the Malaga which is committed and brave, which is proud of its roots but at the same time looks to the future with great ambition”. He added: “These are people and institutions who carry in their rucksacks the value of our province and our people and who help to make Malaga more highly valued”.
Overcoming difficulties
Sr. Ruiz Espejo said that with people such as those who had been given awards, it is worth facing the future with strength and hope. “We reaffirm our commitment, the commitment of everyone with this place, with its identity and its enormous ability, which is well demonstrated, of overcoming difficulties. These people, like all of us, are the reason for what we are celebrating on February 28th”, he stressed.
For his part, the Junta's Minister of Culture praised the values and merits of the award-winners. “These are people and institutions that symbolise society's best values”, said Luciano Alonso. Elsewhere in his speech, he referred to them as “citizens who are committed to Andalucía and who represent its best image”.
The first award to be presented was for the University and it was given to the rector, Adelaida de la Calle, by the provincial delegate for the Economy, Innovation and Science, Marta Rueda. The rector, who said she was always nervous when she received an award, promised that “the UMA will continue to do things well in order to achieve a better society”.
The delegate for Health and Social Wellbeing, Daniel Pérez, presented the award to the national indoor football team for the blind (Marcelo Rosado, José Francisco Urbano, Alfredo Cuadrado, Antonio Jesús Martín and Álvaro González Alcaraz), while the delegate for Public Works, Tourism and Commerce, presented the award for the Molletes San Roque company to José Paradas Palacios.
The provincial delegate for Education, Patricia Alba, presented the award to the director of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria school, Antonio Palacios, and the president of Ampa; Lourdes Cañas. Patricia Alba also gave the award to the president of Aplama, Francisco Jurado.
It was the delegate for Agriculture, Fishing and the Environment, Javier Carnero, who presented the award to Didier Bricout, the president of the Regulatory Board of the Denomination of Origin Malaga, Sierras de Malaga y Pasas de Malaga.
Singer Anni B. Sweet received her award from Marta Rueda, while Manuel García Peláez presented one to José Cobos y Francisco Campos for El Pimpi winery. The ceremony ended with a performance of the hymn of Andalucía by the choir of the Senior Music Conservatory of Malaga.
