The mayor of Ronda, Mari Paz Fernández, received the Villa Medal of Grazalema this Friday, a recognition for hosting around 600 residents during the storm train in January.
The mayor of Ronda, Mari Paz Fernández, received this Friday the Villa Medal of Grazalema at an event held in the plaza de España of this Cádiz locality, marking the start of its Fiestas Mayores. The award recognises the assistance provided by the city of Tajo to the residents of Grazalema, who had to leave their homes due to the effects of the storm train at the beginning of the year.
For 11 days, around 600 Grazalemeños were accommodated in Ronda's lodgings and attended to at the Pabellón Deportivo de El Fuerte, which served as a care point. There, cooks provided daily meals and services such as clothing, healthcare, and psychological support were set up, in a mobilization that involved practically the entire population.
The Grazalema City Council justified the awarding of the Medal for “the generosity, coordination, and responsiveness during the emergency, and in the cooperation and support to the people of Grazalema.” The institutional statement emphasises that “the work based on planning, anticipation, and rapid intervention was the backbone of our community's safety.”
In her speech, the mayor of Ronda expressed her gratitude for the recognition and recalled those days: “In the sports hall, there was a large united family, sharing precious moments; from a catastrophe came the best of us, because that is what being true neighbours is about, building a just society.” Fernández added that “in the years I have been mayor, it has been the best thing I have done in my political life: opening the city to those in need.”
In addition to Ronda, Grazalema also awarded the Villa Medal to Zahara de la Sierra and the Andalusian Emergency Agency (EMA), which is dependent on the Junta. For this reason, the first vice president of the Junta and councillor for the Presidency, Health, and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, was present at the event.
The Grazalema City Council also presented Honorary Mentions to the Guardia Civil, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), Firefighters, Red Cross, Advanced Life Support (SVA), Infoca, 061, Local Police of Grazalema, Civil Protection of Grazalema, the company Aguas de la Sierra de Cádiz, the IGME, the GAVE, and the town councils of Montecorto, Algodonales, Montejaque, and El Gastor, as well as local volunteers.
The mayor of Ronda was accompanied by the councillor for Tourism and Economy, Ángel Martínez, and expressed being “very grateful and moved” on behalf of the city. This recognition adds to others that have highlighted Ronda's solidarity character.
The event took place a day after the mayor of Grazalema, Carlos García, signed the proclamation for the Feria and Fiestas of Pedro Romero in Ronda, in an emotional gesture of gratitude to the city that opened its doors to its residents.
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