The traditional Christmas Fair, which is organised by the British Council School and it´s Citizenship and Charity Volunteers Association, has again shown how important we hold the value of Caring. Helping to look after others is something fundamental for the whole of the British Council School community. Once again this year, and thanks to the help of parents, teachers and students, we have managed to raise as much as 11.700 euros, to be able to continue funding BIOOR research grants in the fight against Cancer.
Music, games, gastronomy and a great deal of presents, made with lots of love from our students, clogged up the School´s corridors. It was a day where excitement, hope and charity took centre stage. And in the playground, the traditional sledge race was met with loud applause from everyone, not wanting to miss such an exciting competition.
As well as solidarity, the School also encourages other values, for example Recycling. That´s why we have various second-hand bookstalls as well as School uniforms and musical instruments which have been out grown.
The cherry on the cake was the Raffle. Almost at the end of the day, we found out who the lucky winners were. As usual, amongst the most sought after prizes were an electric scooter, some airpods and 2 nights at the Santos Hotel.
Saint Andrew’s Day
This year the BIOOR Fair also fell on Saint Andrew’s Day, and we even had a bagpiper to celebrate the Day. Each 30th of November, throughout Scotland, Saint Andrews has been celebrated as the National Day, since 1180. We don´t know much about how the Saint lived or became the Patron of Scotland. But it seems that Saint Andrew, one of Jesus Christ´s Apostles was sentenced to death by the Romans, crucified in Greece. Saint Andrew rejected a Latin Cross, and preferred to be crucified with a Cross shaped like an X, to avoid any comparisons with the death of Jesus. The legend maintains that his remains were taken from Patras to Kinrymont in Fife in the 5th Century. And soon after, the Church became a Cathedral and an important pilgrimage destination.
BIOOR Grants
BIOOR Oncology Research Grants are a pioneering project, created by students, to commemorate a fellow student suffering from Cancer for 3 years. During this time, she herself collaborated with different hospitals for children who have Cancer and her passion was Oncology research. In the end, she lost her life to Cancer and her Schoolmates set up the initiative in her memory.
Dr Alejo Efeyán, from the National Centre for Oncology Research, is the latest recipient of the BIOOR Grant for Cancer Research. In total, Dr Efeyán has received 51.467 euros enabling him to study blood cancer for three years. His research aims to discover the trigger for follicular lymphomas. This is a key objective in understanding the potential weakness in these cells to find better treatments and cures. Follicular lymphomas have become more common in the last few decades and can mutate into very aggressive forms of the disease making it an incurable illness.
It is a honour for the British Council School to be able to collaborate on such projects and to be able to teach children the value of solidarity and commitment from an early age. That´s why, on behalf of the School, we would very much like to thank all those involved, parents, children, teachers and the wider School community. Without their help, adding their own grain of sand, year after year, none of this would be possible. Since it began, BIOOR has managed to raise more than 200.000 euros, which have all been put towards the fight against Cancer.