The aim of this campaign is to provide our Pavilion with a new floor. The previous one suffered irreparable damage on the night of the storm, following the partial collapse of the roof. Water ingress made its replacement irreversible.
The ADR Barreiros Sports Hall was our "pride and joy." For a medium-sized village, which isn't even a parish seat, building a project of this magnitude initially seemed like just a pipe dream.
Time, however, and the immeasurable stubbornness of a community ended up giving shape to a space that we will certainly continue to be proud of for generations to come.
However, our Theatre of Dreams, which we believed to be an impregnable fortress, has succumbed to the designs of nature. The clamor of the younger generation will cease to be heard for an indefinite period, and the spirit of overcoming challenges among the older generation will endure a long period of mourning.
What took years to build, the fruit of the dedication and volunteer work of many, when dedication wasn't just an empty word, collapsed in a night of nightmare. The memories we built there during almost three decades of achievements cannot be erased so abruptly and unexpectedly.
Our pain is the pain of many other communities.
The challenge seems enormous, but it cannot stifle our ambition.
Honoring the memory of all who contributed to this achievement leaves us no alternative! Giving up was never an option!
Want an example?
Two days after the fateful date, we still tried to "get revenge" for the effects of the storm.
Even knowing that up there, gathered in yet another "Council of Storms, Hurricanes and Other Bad Things," Kristin, Leonardo, Marta, and a few others lined up, respecting alphabetical order, to torment our souls and test our patience, must have looked down here during a coffee break (although it seems they don't even have time for such luxuries…) and thought…
What are those fools doing down there?
Do you know what that bunch of evildoers saw up there?
A brave and stubborn troupe, brooms and mops in hand, wringing out sponges, emptying buckets in succession, stretching out tarps and plastic sheets, discussing action plans, improvising solutions that could collapse at any moment.
When common sense advised staying home, many dared to leave. When common sense recommended caution, some defied the most basic rules and safety precautions.
Young and old, men and women, athletes and regulars in the stands, many responded to our call, providing Proof of Life for an institution that is approaching half a century, in defense of its most precious material asset.
So much goodwill, so much spirit of mutual support, yet they could do nothing against the evil that had been done.
Now is the time to call for greater help. That is why we are here, humbly!
