More than a hundred people celebrated Christmas with a swim, on the morning of the 25th, at Armação de Pêra beach to remember the importance of solidarity during this season.
With more than 20 years, this tradition invites you to make donations to families in need in the municipality of Silves. The money is then handed over to the Armação de Pêra Parish Council, which will buy food baskets to distribute.
Despite being over two decades old, this initiative has only been organized by the Barlavento Classic Vehicles Club for two years. Previously, the event was run by Vicki Good and the Holiday Inn Hotel, which is located next to the beach where the activity takes place.
This Monday, many people wanted to go swimming, but there were also those who preferred to stay on the sand and take photos or just watch.
For Sérgio Costa, one of the organizers of Mergulho Solidário, it didn't hurt to wake up early to participate in this initiative.
«This has become a routine. It's always work, but for us it's a pleasure. When we get here and see the human side of things, we see that it is worth it», says Sérgio.
Last year, 2394 euros were delivered to the Armação de Pêra Parish Council and the target for 2023 is to exceed this amount. Before Christmas, 1.800 euros were handed over, donated by a private individual and a company.
Mergulho Solidário takes to the streets again on January 1st, at 10:30 am, in the same location. Instead of wearing a Santa Claus costume, participants are invited to come in pajamas.
See how this Christmas swim went:
Photos and text from: Cátia Rodrigues, who is a finalist for the Master's in Communication and Digital Media at the University of Algarve and is doing her internship at Sul Informação.
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