Saturday, September 6: aperitif dinner and award ceremony for donors
Sunday, September 7: celebration of the traditional “Rificolona” festival
Rewarding people who have made a simple and noble choice, such as donating their blood or plasma to those in need. But also offering an opportunity to get together, reviving a tradition rooted in the rural Florentine masses for their children and grandchildren. This is the calling card of “Avis in Festa,” which returns to Castelfiorentino on Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, for a weekend dedicated to associationism and solidarity.
The event, which is sponsored by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, will open on the afternoon of Saturday, September 6 (7:30 p.m.), with an “AperiAvis for all donors” at Bar Lilith in Piazza Cavour (reservations required at +390571.628032), followed at 8:30 p.m. by the presentation of awards to deserving citizens (eighty-one in total) who have distinguished themselves in the past through their choice to donate. In particular, a copper badge will be awarded to the 41 donors who have made at least 8 donations, a silver badge to the 17 donors who have made at least 16 donations, and a gold-plated silver badge to the 23 donors who have made at least 25 donations.
The ceremony will be attended by the regional president of AVIS, Claudia Firenze, the president of AVIS Castelfiorentino, Silvia Zannelli, Isa Mancini (long-standing representative of the association, awarded the title of Cavaliere della Repubblica), Mayor Francesca Giannì, and Councilor for Volunteering Federica Parisi. Volunteer associations and sister associations of the local AVIS have also been invited, as well as the staff of the Transfusion Center.
Sunday, September 7, will be dedicated to the rediscovery of an ancient peasant tradition: the legendary “Rificolona.” As you may remember, this tradition has its origins in the rural masses of Florence, who once descended from Bivigliano and Vallombrosa to Piazza SS Annunziata (Florence) during the night, using a homemade lantern surrounded by a paper casing to light their way. Once in Florence, the peasant women were often surrounded by numerous children, who enjoyed teasing them. Hence the link between the rificolona and children (and the sometimes irreverent nursery rhyme we all know, “ona ona ona…”) from which the event then spread throughout the province.
The meeting point for making the “rificolone” lanterns is at 4:30 p.m. at the park on Viale Roosevelt (sports area), where “Festa Insieme” (the volunteer associations’ festival) is taking place. The members of “Amici di Castello” will actively collaborate in the construction workshop. In the evening, there will be a parade, starting at 9:30 p.m. from the Church of San Francesco, during which children will be the protagonists in the exhibition of these evocative artifacts, with their patterns and colors. The parade, accompanied by the music of the “G. Verdi” Philharmonic, will wind its way through the streets of the city center, arriving in Piazza Gramsci, where Avis will conclude the festival with games and balloons, offering information and explanations to those interested in donating.
“Avis in festa,” emphasizes Federica Parisi, Councilor for Volunteering, “is first and foremost an opportunity to give due recognition to those who have chosen to donate, a gesture that costs nothing and can help save people’s lives. But it is also an event to raise awareness among the population of the importance of this choice, which is more relevant than ever, given that Tuscany is also experiencing a shortage of blood and plasma due to the increase in demand for cancer patients and the elderly, taking into account the demographic trend of the population. There is also a need for generational change, because older donors (who have now exceeded the age limit) are not being replaced in equal measure by young people.
In this regard, please note that on Sunday, September 21 (from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.), the Castelfiorentino Transfusion Center will be open. For new donors, Avis is available to provide information and explanations at its stand set up during the “Festa Insieme” festival, or at its headquarters (Piazza Gramsci 20 – telephone +390571628032 Mobile +393713644267).
