Page 10 - ATA

A14 LOCAL
Tuesday 29 May 2018
Aruba Symphony Festival Needs Your Help

ORANJESTAD — Unlike the Latin America. Darwin Cosme from Puerto
other musical festivals held Rico with them. Both fami-
in Aruba and financed by Hosting a student of the lies have enjoyed the ex-
enterprises with commer- Symphony Festival can be perience and have volun-
cial interests, the Aruba a rewarding experience teered again for this year.
Symphony Festival has a for your family, creating a
very small budget. And un- unique opportunity to ex- The students will need a
like the other festivals that perience another culture hosting family from July 19
charge sums for admis- and establish a lifelong to July 30, the festival will
sions, most of the Aruba friendship. Who knows, the take place from July 21 to
Symphony Festival con- international friend might July 29.
certs do not charge for someday be a celebrated
admission as its main goal musician. For most students, As a token of appreciation,
is to make contemporary attending the Aruba Sym- Aruba Symphony Festival
and classical music acces- phony Festival is a dream will offer each hosting fam-
sible to everyone. come true. As a culturally ily two tickets for the inau-
Symphony Festival is com- in the Festival? Lodging diverse island, we have a gural and closing concerts
In previous years we have pelled to appeal to the en- means a clean bed and lot of values to share with when admission will be
had financial help from tire Aruban community for bathroom. The guest is ex- young international musi- charged. The host families
businesses and institutions help. pected to keep his/her cians, including of course, will also be recognized in
that have recognized the room orderly. If on occa- our much lauded Aruban the official Festival program
cultural, educational and How can you help? sion the family wants to in- cordiality. An Aruba Sym- booklet. If you want to be a
social value that Aruba One of the largest expens- vite the guest to join them phony Festival host fam- host family, please contact
Symphony Festival contrib- es on the Aruba Symphony for dinner, that would be ily can be young, not-so- Johnny Croes at +297 592
utes to our island. UNOCA Festival is lodging for the appreciated, and we en- young, with children or no 3762 or johnnycroes62@
has contributed generously students and masters. If 30 courage the host families children. There is no “typi- gmail.com or Clyde Harms
to cover the use of Cas di families volunteer to take to interact as much as pos- cal” host family. at +297 738 8843 or clyde-
Cultura. The Perret-Gentil in one or two musicians in sible with their guests. But harms@yahoo.com. July
brothers and Mr. Frans Sy- their homes for the duration the host family is not ob- Last year two families gave 20 – July 29.
dow gave free lodgings at of the Festival it would help ligated to prepare meals lodging to musicians: Mel-
their condos for many of enormously. for the guests. Most of our vin Loefstok and Sandra Helping Aruba Symphony
the masters and coordina- participants will be from the had Edith Peña from Spain Festival to cut its costs, you
tors. Because of the rising What does it entail to give United States and several as guest while Benjamin will also help to keep the
costs, this year the Aruba lodging to a participant of them are originally from and Maya Romero had festival in Aruba.q
Memorial Day at my Second Home

Continued from Page 13

Maureen gets emotional
when I ask her why this
ceremony has such an im-
pact. “All these people
gave their lives and ser-
vice to their country. My
husband did not want this
to stop and continuing this
is for me a must.” Jocelyn
Nadal, their granddaugh-
ter recites a poem during
the ceremony while the
veterans stand in line. this is my second home. We years old veteran, who has
A flower garland is offered come every year with the been in service at Europe
to the sea as a symbol of family”, Maureen says while during the Second World
salute to the veterans that her daughter and grand- War. He is talking to one of
are not with us anymore. “I daughter stay close to her. the initiative takers of this
have been coming to Aru- A bit further, in the shadow event, a veteran too, and
ba for more than 20 years, of the stand we meet a 92 both of them are highly
respected by the people
around them. “Heroes
they are. They stand for our
country.”
With all these generations
together on the beach in
honor of a war that most
did not live creates a spe-
cial feeling. It is a connec-
tion made to appreciate
the effort of those who pro-
tect their country and pri-
oritize human rights.q