A “triple” ceremony, which featured two large associations, Lions and the Red Cross, and which was held yesterday morning (16 November) in front of the Temple of the Beata Vergine del Soccorso. And rescue is precisely one of the key words because the Lions Club Rovigo Host, starting from the generous donation in memory of Roberto Melonby his wife Carla and with the contribution of the International Foundation of Lions Clubs, which financed 50%, concluded the project worth 135 thousand euros by delivering a new very modern ambulance, complete with biocontainment module, to the provincial committee of the Red Cross of Rovigo.
For its part, the Red Cross concluded the project, supported by the Municipality of Rovigo, to place the “blue shield” provided for by the Hague Convention in front of the Rotunda of 14 May 1954 to protect the cultural, artistic and environmental heritage against all wars. Because bombing a “shielded” asset is a war crime. As explained by the president of the Red Cross Alberto Indani, it is the third blue shield in Polesine, after the municipality of Fiesso Umbertiano and Villa Badoer di Fratta.
Last “ceremony within the ceremony”, he hands it over to the well-known veterinarian Luigi Marangoni, past president of the Lions Club of Rovigo, who “moderated” the morning, of the bronze medal Cri. “I’m just a frontman – he remarked – And I would be nothing without the Club”.
At the ceremony were present in addition to representatives of all the Lions clubs in the “L” area, namely Badia Adige Po, Lions for Pets Rovigo, Contarina Delta Po and Chioggia Sottomarina, led by the district Lionistic authorities, with the governor of 108Ta3 Enrico Barbato, and international ones, with Sandro castellana, a large representation of Red Cross volunteers, with the deputy vice-president of Veneto Andrea Bortolotto, the vice-prefect Fabrizio Cesarino, the deputy commissioner Maria Olivieri, the commander of the Company Rovigo carabinieri Francesco Marino, the president of the Province Enrico Ferrarese, the mayor of Rovigo Valeria Cittadin, the councilor Andrea Bimbatti, the president of Rugby Rovigo Francesco Zambelli, and a delegation from Rugby Badia, Rhodigium Basket and Baseball Softball Club Rovigo.
At the beginning, the seven principles of the Red Cross, humanity, impartiality, nautrality, independenceq, voluntariness, unity and universality, were read by as many volunteers, then the president of the Lions Host of Rovigo Isabella Sgarbi illustrated the ethics, mission and vision that move the lionistic action, thus bringing out the points of contact that emerged in this project which, as underlined by governor Barbato, “was born with an intuition during the heavy moment of Covid”. “In addition to the value for the community – added Castellana – there is the advantage of being created in collaboration with the community”.
Indani, however, remarked: “It is an important day, which closes a journey of almost two years, because during Covid we carried out 14 national transports of positive casesbut without biocontainment. Now, thanks to the Lions, this ambulance allows us to transport safely, which was missing in our province.” For their part, Cittadin and Ferrarese highlighted the added value of volunteering that knows how to network.
After the blessing of Don Andrea Varliero, the cutting of the ribbon and the auspicious turning on of the sirens, the unveiling of the blue shield in front of the Rotunda and the presentation of the recognition to Marangoni.
