- This solidarity initiative, led by Ricard Camarena, Begoña Rodrigo and Quique Dacosta with the support of AVE, aims to help recover devastated areas with a special focus on restoring the self-employed, shops and small businesses and helping to maintain employment.
- On December 13, fundraising dinners will be organized simultaneously throughout Spain and major world capitals.
- At www.desdesvalenciaparavalencia.com there will be a ‘Fila 0’ where anyone can donate from Thursday, November 7.
Valencia, November 5, 2024.
The gastronomic community, supported by the business community, has joined together in an unprecedented effort to support those affected by the DANA in the province of Valencia with the aim of raising funds and helping to recover the devastated areas with a special focus on restoring the self-employed to shops and small businesses and helping to maintain employment.
The solidarity initiative ‘From Valencia to Valencia’ is led by prominent chefs such as Ricard Camarena, Begoña Rodrigo and Quique Dacosta. This movement, supported by the Valencian Business Association (AVE), seeks to provide a direct and significant response to the tragedy that has deeply impacted the region.
The intention is to create a simultaneous global event on December 13, which will consist of a series of charity dinners organized in various cities in Spain and around the world.
The aim is to raise funds to rebuild the areas affected by the DANA and to recover the business fabric in order to maintain full employment. 100% of the funds raised that night will be donated entirely to these areas.
A dinner transformed into solidarity
The idea of ‘From Valencia to Valencia’ arose in the context of the traditional annual AVE dinner. The organization chaired by Vicente Boluda has decided, at the suggestion of Ricard Camarena, to convert it into a charity dinner for the benefit of those affected by the catastrophe.
With the support of AVE, the proposal was extended to invite other chefs and entrepreneurs from around the world to join this cause. Over the last few hours, numerous chefs from different cities in Spain and abroad have expressed their desire to contribute.
For this reason, the event on December 13 will not only take place in Valencia but will also extend to other cities and communities. From the Basque Country to New York, passing through Galicia, Aragon, Castile and Leon, Andalusia, Madrid, Catalonia and many foreign cities, where renowned chefs will organize simultaneous charity dinners, demonstrating that the power of solidarity has no borders.
In order to ensure that every euro reaches those who need it most, the funds raised will be managed through a Valencian public utility association with more than 10 years of experience in solidarity projects. This association has all the quality seals that guarantee its transparency, offering guarantees to all those who wish to collaborate.
In addition to the charity dinners, a “Fila 0” has been set up so that anyone interested in contributing can do so easily, through the website www.desdevalenciaparavalencia.com. All donations will go entirely to the areas devastated by the DANA.
A call for hope
“We want December 13 to be a historic day, a symbol of hope and solidarity, not only for our community, but for all those who believe in the power of unity and mutual aid,” said Ricard Camarena at the presentation.
Ricard revealed during the presentation that “just a few minutes ago, the chef José Andrés told me that he is going to donate the first million euros.” “We hope that this will be the first of many large donations,” he added.
For his part, Diego Lorente, Secretary General of AVE, has highlighted that “this initiative by chefs and businessmen, as part of civil society, seeks to help rebuild the affected area, with a special focus on business reactivation.” “We are acting, and we want to support initiatives such as the one being presented today, apart from many others that are already being developed,” he added. Lorente concluded by way of summary that this “is a movement organized from Valencia to ask for the collaboration of all of Spain and for it to revert to Valencia.”
This event marks a milestone in the history of Valencian solidarity and shows how, through gastronomy and social commitment, we can contribute to the economic and business reconstruction of a community. Each donation will be a step towards the recovery of the province and a message of encouragement for those who need to rebuild their professional projects.
Confirmed chefs on November 5th to coordinate each dinner; they will be in charge of coordinating the rest of the chefs in their city.
Jose Andrés (EE.UU)
Harry Sasson (Colombia)
Massimo Bottura (Italia)
René Redzepi (Dinamarca)
Alex Atala (Brasil)
Joan Roca y Nandu Jubany (Cataluña)
Eneko Atxa (Bilbao)
Ángel León (Cádiz)
Pepe Rodríguez (Toledo)
Javier Olleros y Pepe Solla (Galicia)