The Cabildo renews its support for Pequeño Valiente to promote physical activity among children with cancer

The Island Council, through the public company Ideco, has renewed its partnership with the Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente to improve the quality of life for children with cancer through physical activity. The agreement includes support for the project called “Valientes en forma, ” which benefits some 300 people, and the organization of the first edition of the “Rainbow Family, ” a colorful race with three distances designed for families to enjoy together.

The Island Councilor for Sports, Yolanda Moliné, highlights “the important work this association does to make the recovery process easier for these brave children, who are an example to us all. “Here at the Tenerife Island Council, we are fully committed to supporting this initiative, whose main goal is simply to improve the daily lives of children with cancer through physical exercise and sports activities in which their families can also participate.”

The president of the Fundación Canaria Pequeño Valiente, José Juan Jerez, states, “I would like to thank the Tenerife Island Council, the Department of Sports, and Ideco for supporting our project. More than 300 people are benefiting from this support provided by the island government. Thanks to them, we’re gaining access to hospitals and working to ensure that sports play a prominent role. We’re pioneers in this area.”

Ideco CEO Manuel Gómez states that “for us, it is a great pleasure to engage in this type of collaboration with Pequeño Valiente, and it is also part of our corporate social responsibility. We’ll be organizing many activities at the facilities managed by Ideco, such as the Santa Cruz-Ofra Sports Complex and the Tenerife Athletics Center (CIAT), as well as activities with our environmental volunteers.”

Beyond the value of sports as a therapeutic tool—due to its ability to help alleviate the side effects of cancer treatments and improve mood— physical exercise helps the body prepare for the demands of treatment and better cope with the fatigue and muscle weakness associated with various cancer therapies.

“Valientes en forma” takes place at various locations, such as the Canary Islands University Hospital, the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria University Hospital, and at camps, outdoor venues, or sports centers, including the Tenerife Santa Cruz Ofra Sports Complex, which is managed by the Cabildo through Ideco.

Among the twenty or so scheduled activities, highlights include several hiking trails to prepare for the Camino de Santiago; rock climbing, paddle tennis, water aerobics, yoga, BodyCombat, BodyStep, and a summer camp, among others.

The Pequeño Valiente Foundation of the Canary Islands, recipient of the 2016 Canary Islands Solidarity Award, serves more than 600 people, including sick children and their families. Providing psychological and educational support, improving healthcare for children, offering housing to families who relocate from other islands, fostering study and research on childhood cancer, and promoting activities outside the hospital to facilitate communication and support among those affected are some of the foundation’s objectives, in addition to raising awareness about childhood cancer among the general public.