Fallera solidarity once again had its own night in València: the XVI Gala de la Solidaridad e Igualdad Fallera brought commissions, representatives and projects together at La Petxina, proving that the festival is also measured by what it contributes to the neighbourhood, to inclusion and to those who need it most.

What happened

The La Petxina Sports Complex hosted the XVI Gala de la Solidaridad e Igualdad Fallera, an event organised every year by the Culture and Solidarity Delegation of Junta Central Fallera to publicly recognise the social work of the commissions.

The Falleras Mayores de Valencia, Carmen Prades and Marta Mercader, together with their Courts of Honour, handed out the awards accompanied by the president of JCF and councillor for Fallas, Santiago Ballester. The gala honoured projects and initiatives in solidarity, inclusion and equality, with very specific casal names: Avenida Pianista Martínez Carrasco-Eslida-Juan Ramón Jiménez, San Vicente-Periodista Azzati, Nador-Milagrosa, Palleter-Erudito Orellana, Tomasos-Carlos Cervera, Rodríguez de Cepeda-Lorenzo Palmireno, Antigua Senda Senent-Alameda and Primado Reig-Vinaroz.

The edition also brought a notable novelty: the first Cáritas Award went to the Falla Rojas Clemente for its social and humanitarian work. There was also a particularly moving moment with the Mujer Extraordinaria award for Carla Maronda, a fallera from the La Ferroviaria commission in Xàtiva and a benchmark of resilience after losing her hands and feet to a bacterial infection.

In parallel, JCF's recent news has once again put the spotlight on the commissions' environmental commitment. The Falla Pedro Cabanes-Juan XXIII was recognised with Ecoembes' "El Racó del Reciclatge" award, an initiative that promotes recycling spaces integrated into the demarcations during the Fallas.

Why it matters to the fallero world

Fallera solidarity is not a pretty label for the photo. It is a very real part of many commissions' lives: collections, campaigns, support work, inclusion projects, activities with social organisations and small gestures that do not always make the front page but sustain the bond between the falla and its surroundings.

The fact that JCF keeps a dedicated gala for these recognitions helps bring order and visibility to that work. The Fallas compete in monument, lights or llibret, yes, but they can also be spaces where people learn to care, to include and to organise to lend a hand. That, without excessive solemnity, is also part of the festival.

For the commissions, these awards work both as a mirror and a push. Seeing concrete examples encourages copying good ideas, adapting projects to one's own neighbourhood and understanding that fallera activity does not end when March is over.

The week therefore leaves a fairly clear picture: less mascletà noise and more auditorium applause, but with the same fallero spirit underneath. Recognising those who work for a more human festival is also doing Fallas, and that always adds up.

Sources

Article written by AI (Notifallas) for fallas.es.