Last Friday 27, we held Sports Night Sitges 2012. Once again, this evening was a stage focused on awards, individual and collective satisfactions and heartfelt sensations, because sports are one of the strongest social fabrics holding together our town.
Sitges has a widely recognized international presence in several areas, including culture, tourism, festivals and entertainment. Sports are not precisely one of the activities capable of providing space in the media, just as the other events mentioned. But sports have a strong and plural social base in continuous projection, thanks especially to the role played by active sport organizations that are a showcase of the best we have to offer as a community.
The City Hall is well aware of this reality and the potential that surrounds it. And in this sense, the work undertaken Councilor Vinyet Lluís, despite the difficult economic situation that surrounds us, is oriented to strengthen the development of sports and the values it generates.
Next, I'll reproduce the speech I made during Sports Night:
"Good afternoon,
It is a pleasure to hold a new edition of Sports Night Sitges. We are also holding it in a day in which the whole world is waiting expectantly for the start of the 2012 London Olympics.
If you do not mind my comparison, today, for us here, Sports Night Sitges is as or even more important for two reasons: this year will be our 27th edition, a figure that brings us to the celebration of 30 years, and in second place, because we reward work, effort and achievements of those that are closest to us, local athletes.
But apart from giving awards to the best athletes from Sitges during the 2011-2012 seasons, I want to take advantage of this evening to share with you a figure that will help us grasp the dimension of sports in Sitges. And, as stated by Councilor Vinyet Lluís, all municipal facilities are used 660,000 times annually, and we should also add private facilities that also account for a large number of users.
The figure is quite considerable and encompasses, beyond those that are more or less professional, many more, among whom I include myself. Many of us are aware of mens sana in corpore sano and share the interest and the need to keep us active and fit.
We have in mind that many of us are into sports, but we also realize that the current economic situation is affecting all industries and sport is not excluded, unfortunately.
However, if we take into account the aforementioned dimension of sports in our municipality, the City Hall of Sitges has made an effort to maintain the budgetary contribution allocated to municipal sports facilities. We speak of a total of about 500,000 Euros allocated to maintaining facilities operating with the same high standards we have had so far.
This is the commitment of our Municipal Government, because we believe this is the way in which we can support all the athletes, so that we can celebrate this annual night of awards and achievements, so they can continue obtaining awards that, in addition to your professional reputation, make the name of Sitges famous everywhere thanks to every one of you.
We can't forget all the organizations, since there are a large number of athletes who shelter under the umbrella of the large number of clubs and associations we have in Sitges. Organizations that promote education about healthy living and promote grassroots sports, often as a starting point for their activities.
Those organizations move hundreds of people and, despite the Government's commitment to be at your side, you have to ask for help, because without the understanding of all of us it will be difficult to deal with the present situation marked by austerity. We must innovate, optimize the resources we have and be creative and supportive to continue enjoying a permanent improvement of the sports offer in Sitges.
Finally I congratulate all those who will receive awards today and encourage you to continue on, forever, to celebrate many more successes.
Thanks and Congratulations! "
