Santiago Gómez-Villares: "With the charity gala against cancer, we managed to discover the most supportive side of Marbella"

One of the first steps of Santiago Gómez-Villares as president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Marbella was the challenge of the ... Gala Dinner, one of the major charitable events at the national level. That was in 2022, the year in which the lawyer from Malaga took over the association with a clear goal: to reach all audiences in the city and gain more visibility among the residents of Marbella. He is now about to host his fourth charity gala and celebrate the 40th anniversary of this event which, according to Gómez-Villares in this interview, has evolved to reach all types of audiences, both from the city and nationally and internationally.

The gala will be held next Saturday, August 2nd, at Finca la Concepción to raise funds for financing oncological research projects and maintaining the programs and services they offer free of charge to cancer patients in Marbella and their families. And it has a clear goal: "We want to reach 700 attendees, a number that has never been recorded at this AECC gala," the president confesses in this interview.

–I imagine you have a special fondness for this gala, as it was your first major challenge with the association...

–It's exciting to remember. It was a challenge for me and for the entire board. And I could never have imagined that we would receive such a good response from the people of Marbella. I was born in Malaga, but I have been coming to Marbella since I was three years old and have lived here for 27 years. I remember how my father used to leave the house looking elegant to attend this charity gala years ago... For us, this challenge has been about discovering the most charitable Marbella, that Marbella that volunteers tirelessly to make events like these possible. The months leading up to the gala are really exciting because we realize how charitable the people here can be.

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–Right at the beginning of your presidency, you talked about wanting to change the association's visibility in the city. Have you achieved this?

–We imposed our own formula, we changed a lot of what had been done before; especially the audience it was aimed at. We thought that the people of Marbella should really support this gala in its various facets: from the business community to any citizen. So far, we have about 15 corporate tables confirmed, with prices of 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 euros. And we will surely reach thirty tables like this. What does this mean? That we have managed to make a gala that in other years was directed only at the 'jet-set', now focused on the citizens of Marbella and their businessmen, without distinction of economic capacity or social position, simply with the commitment to help those who need the services that the AECC offers.

–If corporate tables range between 3,000 and 5,000 euros. How much does an individual cover cost?

–The price per individual diner is 200 euros. I must emphasize that I believe it is the most complete culinary event that takes place in Marbella. It's a real spectacle and we have top-level restaurants in the city. When so many people come together, so much work, effort, and affection, things go well.

–What has been the most surprising about these first years in the presidency?

–This has been discovering an open secret: that the society of Marbella was committed to the fight against cancer. It moves and excites us how businesses are involved in donating great gifts, valued up to 3,000 euros, for us to include in the charity raffle. And it's not just how they get involved in this Gala Dinner, it's everything they're involved in throughout the year. For example, in the Solidarity Tide race, there used to be 1,000 registrants, and in this last call, we reached 3,000 participants.

–How much is raised with the gala?

–We usually raise more than 200,000 euros. I believe it is probably one of the highest-grossing. Again, we have a very charitable society that surpasses itself every year. And in this edition, we hope it continues to do so.