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Members of the Eusko Alkartasuna Basque club in Sao Paulo celebrated their 55 years in style on November 30.  The celebration gathered members and friends at the clubhouse where there was a special tribute to Elias Echegoyen and Carmen Lizarzaburu, members of the original group of founders.  The club has shared photos of the event with us that we provide here.  

Sao Paulo, Brazil.  The Eusko Alkartasuna Basque club in Sao Paulo gathered all ages on November 30 to celebrate its 55th birthday.  The festivities, according to Maite Garcia Alava, club secretary, began around 11:30am by welcoming guests. Afterwards, Maite herself, was in charge of giving a talk on the 55 years of the club’s history, the eldest club in Brazil.

The day continued with paella and a gift raffle.  At 3:30 one of the most important moments took place, a tribute to surviving founding members of the club, out of the original 51, Elias Echegoyen Tabar and Carmen Lizarzaburu.  Other members were also recognized Amable Conde Elustondo and Francisco Lizarzaburu. 

During the event, the president reconfirmed “the importance of staying together, united, to remain firm in our passion and dissemination of the Basque culture, and the desire for Eusko Alkartasuna in Sao Paulo to continue for another 55 years and more.”  Members planted a sapling of the Tree of Gernika as a symbol of renewal and hope and as a gift to future club generations.   

And as every birthday, there was a cake especially decorated for the occasion, and everyone sang “Zorionak Zuri!”  The birthday concluded with a pelota demonstration in the fronton thanks to first-rate pelotaris: Fernanda Camargo and Maria Angeles Catalan who are well-known in the world of pelota – world champions in 1990 and 1998 in frontenis.