Brazil - The 32nd Salesian Games honours 75 years of Salesian presence in Araçatuba
Araçatuba, Brazil – August 2024 - The gymnasium at Dom Luiz Lasagna Salesisan College was the stage for the opening ceremony for the 32nd Salesian Games, an event this year that honoured 75 years of Salesian presence in Araçatuba and had the Olympics as its theme. The opening of the event was celebrated on 24 August with the performance of the police musical band in the presence of Fr Ricardo Carlos, Superior of the Province of Campo Grande, Brazil (BCG), and various academic authorities. After the composition of the scoreboard, the teams of athletes paraded and the national anthem and the oath of the athlete were performed. Then came the Olympic torch brought by some students and by Mr Antônio Pedro Pezzuto, one of the first students of the College, in 1952. In his address the Provincial, Fr Ricardo Carlos, highlighted the importance of games as part of the educational process initiated by Don Bosco, emphasising that complete education goes beyond the classroom. "Celebrating games is not just any activity. Don Bosco believed that any activity carried out in a Salesian house had education as its main objective. And we believe that a good education goes beyond the classroom", expressing his joy at participating in the event. The event was crowned by cultural presentations by the classes, which recalled the Olympics from 1949 until this year's edition in Paris. The opening ceremony marked the beginning of another edition of the Salesian Games, which will last a week, and also celebrated the rich history and educational spirit that has guided the Salesian College for 75 years.