The 1st Xana Foundation Charity Tournament, held on March 23 at Golf Santander, once again demonstrated the power of sport as a tool for social mobilization, bringing together prominent figures from the sports, cultural, and business worlds around a common cause.
The event featured a Pro-Am golf competition and a parallel padel tournament, increasing participation and reinforcing the inclusive nature of an initiative designed to promote togetherness and a spirit of solidarity, just as was envisioned at its launch.
In the golf tournament, teams were made up of three amateur players, one celebrity, and one professional. Among the notable personalities present were Marcos Llorente, Luis Figo, Raúl González, Rudy Fernández, and Carlos Sainz, along with other figures from the sports, social, and cultural spheres who joined the initiative. Marcos Llorente of Atlético de Madrid performed the inaugural shot at hole 18.
Click here to see the tournament photos.
This first edition of the tournament also featured top golf professionals such as Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Ignacio Garrido, Teresa Díez Moliner, Clara Moyano, and Santi Luna, who accompanied the different teams throughout the course.
In parallel, the padel tournament also brought together various personalities from the sports and political worlds, such as Alberto Herreros and Albert Rivera, completing a day that integrated different sports disciplines under a shared charitable goal.
Gala Dinner and Charity Raffle
The day concluded with a gala dinner held at the Hotel Wellington & Spa Madrid, where awards were presented and a charity raffle took place featuring numerous prizes, like equipment donated by prominent sports figures such as Pau Gasol, Ousmane Dembélé, and Luka Dončić, as well as stays at top destinations like Abama Golf, dinners at La Torre del Mirador, and green fees on the Costa del Sol, helping to increase funds raised for the Foundation.
Click here to see the pictures.
“It’s always important for each of us to do our part to help all these people and support initiatives like this,” said Marcos Llorente, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness for this kind of project.
Raúl González highlighted the human aspect of the initiative: “This foundation is made to help many families. Today we are here to contribute, to raise funds, and to support those who are going through difficult times.”
The funds raised will be used to support the Casa de las Xanas, one of the key projects of the Fundación Xana, conceived as a comprehensive support space for children and young people with serious illnesses, as well as for their families.
“The foundation was created to provide holistic support to families with children suffering from serious illnesses, adapting to the needs of each case, whether emotional, logistical, or financial,” explained Bela Cullell, director of the Fundación Xana. “Our main goal is the Casa de las Xanas, a support center where we can be there for these families throughout the entire process.”
Cullell also highlighted the role of the tournament in the development of the project: “This event was created to raise awareness for the Casa de las Xanas and to take the first steps toward its funding. The response has been tremendous, so we can only thank everyone who has joined in.”
The charity tournament had Costa del Sol as its main sponsor, along with Bizkaia PGAe Open, El Catering de Rodilla, Endesa, Finisher de Kern Pharma, Golf Santander, Hotel Wellington & Spa Madrid, La Torre del Mirador, PING, Montajes del Saz, Itai Pharma, and Kyocera as sponsors and collaborators of the event.