Sport has always been linked to values such as effort, the will to excel, teamwork and cooperation between people. In addition, it can be a magnificent way of promoting various aid actions and commitment to the most disadvantaged to contribute to building a fairer and more equitable society, as Banco Sabadell does every year, with the so-called Aces Solidarios, which, in this 2023 have already reached their fifteenth edition. On this occasion, the events of the game have allowed Banco Sabadell to make a donation of 24,000 euros.
This initiative takes its name from the well-known ace, which, in tennis, is the point that is won directly on the serve without the opponent touching the ball with the racket. Having a special skill in this type of serves can be essential to achieve the long-awaited victory in a tournament like the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell – Conde de Godó Trophy, of which the bank is its main sponsor. But, since 2008, achieving an ace is also an excellent way to collaborate with organizations that work on various solidarity projects.
After the end of this prestigious competition on clay that is held annually at the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona –and which, in 2023, also celebrates its seventieth anniversary– Banco Sabadell donates an amount each year to various entities benefits for each ace achieved by the participants in the tournament. To date, more than 40 non-profit organizations have already benefited with more than 320,000 euros from a proposal that is part of the entity's commitment to society.
Josep Oliu, Chairman of Banco Sabadell, highlighted the importance of the projects carried out by the selected organizations with the following words of gratitude at the award ceremony for this edition: "I congratulate you and thank you for your selfless work with which you are benefiting all mankind." César González-Bueno, CEO of Banco Sabadell, for his part, did not hesitate to add: “Happiness is based above all on loving and being loved. For this reason, the people who work in these solidarity actions that move us so much tend to also be very happy”.
The representatives of the entities –Adela Torras, president of the AVES Foundation; Álvaro Moliner, member of the Executive Commission of the Valencian House of Charity; Katy Trias, president of the Catalan Down Syndrome Foundation; and Ángela Ortega, Director of Institutional Relations of the CERES Foundation – had the opportunity to explain the actions they are carrying out and thanked Banco Sabadell. All of them highlighted the importance of this gesture of support to give visibility to their work.
The solidarity proposals of this edition provide help to the most disadvantaged, offer psychological support and collaborate in inclusion. The Catalan Down Syndrome Foundation, for example, works to cover the needs and contribute to the integration of people suffering from this disease and their families. As its president, Katy Trias, explains, the foundation puts all possible means "so that they speak for themselves, claim their rights and can enjoy a life as similar as possible to the one we all want to lead."
The AVES Foundation is a non-profit association of volunteers, declared of public utility in 2012, which accompanies people in mourning processes through mutual aid groups. For its president, Adela Torras, the goal is for people who have suffered a loss "to be able to live again." "Not to survive, but to live," she emphasizes. Since the appearance of the pandemic, AVES has seen its receptions increase by 65%.
Topics such as addiction treatment, health training, mental health, help for people with dependency or the elderly occupy the day-to-day work of the psychological department of the Social Resources Center Foundation (CERES). In the words of Antonia Valverde, patron president of the association, CERES was born with a clear vocation: "to help public social services to directly protect all people who have not had a particularly easy life." To do this, they work on training for inclusion in the labor market, therapeutic treatment and prevention. Its most recent incorporation is the Violeta Center, where they help women victims of sexist violence.
Casa Caridad (Valencian Charity Association) is a pioneer institution in responding to the needs of the most disadvantaged, independent, free and declared of public utility by the Council of Ministers. As its president, Luis Miralles, points out, "when families with small children come, fleeing hunger or war, our mission is to welcome them to help them open a new horizon."
All these social efforts have received deserved recognition and a new impetus thanks to the Aces Solidarios, whose final contribution depends on the evolution of the tournament. In short, a magnificent way to unite sport and social action to continue building a fairer and more supportive world.
