Mother and son take centre stage at The President’s Club International Winter Gala

AN EMOTIONAL tribute to a disabled charity took centre stage at The President’s Club International (TPCI) Winter Gala when a mother and her 23-year-old son spoke about overcoming prejudice and how those with disabilities can rise to challenges.

Alicia Blanco, Operations Manager of TPCI, joined her son Mikey on stage with CEO of TPCI Kevin Harwood for some banter and nostalgia as they talked about the Asociacion Serrania de Churriana’s Taller de Ceramica, a work centre for disabled individuals that was one of three charities thrown into the spotlight at the event, alongside Federacion Tidus, an animal welfare organisation, and Cudeca (Cuidados del Cancer) Hospice.

Although the Big Swing Band and magician David Blanco entertained the crowd throughout the night, it was little Mikey who had the audience in fits of laughter as he talked about his experiences working at the Taller de Ceramica, although it seems that he might never truly give up on his dream of being a pop star like his idol Michael Jackson.    

More than 200 people attended the Winter Gala at the Vincci Estrella Del Mar Beach Club in Marbella on Saturday December 5, which was organised by TPCI to raise money for the three charities.  

Harwood said he was overwhelmed by the generosity shown by attendees on the night and he never ceases to be amazed at how far TPCI has come.

TPCI was originally created as a way of uniting Spanish property owners from different communities. Harwood likens the situation to a pond: “Individually we are like lily pads. But if we work together, instead of being like lily pads we can be the pond together. The more we are the more we can do.” 

In addition to the Taller de Ceramica, two other charities were honoured on Saturday night: Federacion Tidus, an animal rights organisation, and the Cudeca Cancer Hospice. A month ago TPCI organised a quiz night in which they raised over €1,000 for Tidus, and on Saturday night TPCI donated a car for a year to Cudeca in order to help the hospice out with their home visits to patients.   

TPCI currently has five offices along the Costa del Sol in Manilva, Mijas, Benalmadena, Murcia, and the headquarters in Marbella, but Harwood anticipates big things for the future. In fact, within the next 12 months he says that they will be expanding all the way up the coast of Spain, with an office in every community where there is a city hall.