More than 300 guests attended last Saturday 8th the II Charity Gala 'Together Against Cancer' that the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) held at the Hotel Higuerón 5* Curio Collection by Hilton. One of the highlights of the event was the auction of a work by José Rulos in homage to Rafa Nadal, which raised 25,000 euros, which will go, like the rest of the proceeds from the event, to cancer research and the free services that the AECC provides in Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena and Torremolinos. 

The association not only works to help cancer patients, but its work goes beyond that: "We give support to families, physiotherapeutic and psychological help... for all the people who are having a bad time and the people who accompany them; we also offer help with bereavement and, above all, we are committed to research. The funds we raise with all the events we do, most of them, go to research because from Malaga we finance several projects", explained the president of the AECC of Mijas, Lola Sanchís. "It is in the statistics that one in three men and one in two women will suffer from cancer in their lifetime and the idea is that by 2030, which is only five years away, there will be a 70% survival rate and that cancer will have become a chronic disease", she added.

Authorities present

Numerous authorities attended this charity event, including the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), who was accompanied by councillors of her government team, Mario Bravo and Mari Francis Alarcón. The mayoress highlighted the work of the AECC in the town: "Lola [Sanchís] is doing great work. They carry out actions for prevention, help, support for families, and so that all those people going through the disease are assisted in the best possible way and, above all, feel the encouragement of this association that has so much experience and that, without a doubt, if it did not exist it would have to be created". 

In addition to Mata, attended the mayoress of Torremolinos, Margarita del Cid; the mayor of Benalmádena, Juan Antonio Lara; the national deputy Gema Pérez Recuerda; the delegate of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment of the Junta de Andalucía in Malaga, Carmen Sánchez Sierra; the delegate of Development and Housing of the Junta de Andalucía in Malaga, María Rosa Morales; and the delegate of Assistance Centers, Third Sector and International Cooperation of the Provincial Council, Paco Pepe, as well as the provincial president of the AECC in Malaga, Joaquin Morales, and the local presidents of the AECC of Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Torremolinos.

The Gala

The II Charity Gala 'Together Against Cancer' was held at the Hotel Higuerón with a menu by the prestigious chef Diego Gallegos, from Sollo restaurant, recognized with a Michelin Star and a Green Star. The CEO of Higuerón Resort, Javier Rodríguez, recalled that the initiative was already celebrated in 2024. “It was an idea that came up last year, to hold the gala among several AECC branches, and as a company there is no more important value than feeling useful to society, so for out part it will continue to be held at the hotel for as long as the association wishes", he said.

The gala, which was hosted by actress and model Esther Arroyo, and later entertained by DJ Juan Santamaría, had a very special attraction: "This year, in particular, I am very happy because we managed, when the Davis Cup was here, to get a mural of Rafa Nadal, who signed it and we are going to auction it”, explained the general manager of the resort. The mural, a work by José Rulos, which will remain on display at the Higuerón Resort, fetched a price of 25,000 euros at the auction. In addition to Nadal, it was signed by the rest of the members of the teams that played the Davis Cup in Malaga.

Commitment of AECC

The provincial president of the AECC in Malaga stressed the importance of this initiative: “Events like this are essential to continue progressing in the fight against cancer. The solidarity and commitment of all the attendees allow us to continue offering help to those who need it most and to continue with cancer research”. The AECC has been a benchmark in the fight against cancer for 70 years. Today, it is the social and private entity that allocates the most funds to cancer research: 104 million euros in 565 projects, in which more than 1,000 researchers participate, according to sources from the association.

Structured in 52 provincial offices and present in more than 2,000 Spanish towns, it has more than 30,000 volunteers, more than 500,000 members and almost 1,000 professionals. In 2023, it assisted 140,595 people affected by the disease.

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