Freemasons run for Red Cross!

ON Saturday February 25 Freemasons from the Province of Valencia gathered at the Bali Hotel in Benidorm for their annual assembly.

The meeting is held each year at this venue to review the previous year and award honours to those Freemasons who have worked hard and excelled on behalf of their lodges and the province in general.

At last year’s assembly in February 2011 the Provincial Grand Master, Barrie Mansell launched a festival where lodges and freemasons from the Province would unite in raising funds for Cruz Roja Española (Spanish Red Cross).

The Festival will last for three years until 2014 with the target of raising over €220,000 for the purchase of replacement ambulances and equipment in the Alicante, Valencia and Castellon communities.

Alan Leach and Ian Holness of the San Juan de España Lodge in Callossa D’en Sarria decided on a novel and brave way of raising funds for the festival by running from Callossa to the Bali Hotel, a distance of 22 kilometres and an effective half marathon.

They set off at 7.30am and arrived at the hotel at 9.42am to be greeted by the Provincial Grand Master and their supporters. Alan, current Master of San Juan de España Lodge, was keen to take on the challenge.

Ian is the Charity Steward of the Lodge and is a bar owner in Polop. He runs on a regular basis having raised over €650 for the Festival on a previous half marathon this year.

Alan and Ian raised €2000 as a result of this run and the Provincial Grand Master, Barrie Mansell was delighted with their efforts, commenting ‘ this was a tremendous achievement and typical of the support we have been getting from freemasons and lodges throughout the Province.

In just over one year we have raised over €40, 000 and we are gathering momentum towards our targets which we are confident of achieving within the three year Festival period’.

The San Juan de España Lodge meet on a weekly basis at the Restaurante Casa Caty in Callossa d’en Sarria and draw their members from there and the surrounding areas of La Nucia, Alfaz del Pi and Benidorm.

If you would like to join us in raising more funds for Cruz Roja Española or would like to find out more information about freemasonry in your area please contact us by email at sec@glpvalencia.com and we would be delighted to hear from you.