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- Parque 17 de Febrero Celebrates Its 90th Birthday the Way It Began, Focusing on Faith, Community, and Leadership Development
Parque 17 de Febrero recently celebrated its 90 years of existence with a day-long birthday party. The party brought together different generations of campers, leaders, and others who have had a part in its history. In true camp style, the day was a mix of celebration, games, memories, and dreams for the future. This report, which first appeared on the webpage of the Iglesia Evangelica Valdense del Rio de la Plata, is based on a conversation with Verónica Bertozzi, the director of the Parque.
In English, the name Parque 17 de Febrero translates to Park of February 17. The name commemorates the edict in 1848 of King Carlo Alberto that granted civil and political rights to the Waldensians.
In spite of days of bad weather leading up to the event and despite early morning rain, the day-long celebration attracted more than 120 people. The diversity of the celebrants was one of the highlights of the party. The party goers included children who were attending camp for the first time, cooks who made sure everyone had enough to eat, several generations of adult leaders, as well as children and youth who enjoy the Parque 17 de Febrero summer camp every year.
The format of the celebration was not just a random choice. As Verónica Bertozzi explained: “We chose the format of a camp because that´s who we are. It’s the way we characterize ourselves, the way we learn, and the way we achieve our goals which are to educate, evangelize, and celebrate. We also recognized that our 90th birthday party could be an opportunity to show our community what a camp experience is like.”
A worship service in the Los Ceibos Meeting Room kicked off the celebration. The worship service included greetings, expressions of thanks, and sharing from people who were and are part of El Parque’s history. Next came some free time to give participants a chance to tour the grounds and visit the audiovisual and photo gallery located in the Central Hall. Using the photos, a lifeline was created that showed the years during which each participant had participated, worked in, or visited the Parque. Lunch came next during which – following the custom of Parque 17 de Febrero – two people at every table had to serve the others at the table.
Following the meal, some of the participants enjoyed music while others formed small groups to share memories of their camp experiences. Raffles and other games also brought people of all ages together.
Verónica Bertozzi explained further: “One of the main goals for the party was to recount the history of the Parque over the last ninety years. The Parque´s history over these ninety years has influenced not only people who lived nearby and the quality of education in the schools that chose to hold events and retreats at the Parque but also the life of the church. Parque 17 de Febrero has been a meeting place for synod meetings as well as committee meetings and gatherings for other church-related groups.”
Verónica Bertozzi also spoke about the formation of leaders. Parque 17 de Febrero works to prepare young people for leadership roles that require seriousness and commitment. Verónica explained: “We always say that leaders are made, not born. That’s why we are committed to offering comprehensive training for leadership development. We believe that the perfect leader doesn’t exist, which is why we work together as a group, affirming and enhancing each person’s gifts. The responsibility with which we approach leader training is an essential part of the Parque’s identity. In sum, the Parque´s 90th anniversary celebration was not only an occasion for remembering the Parque´s long and happy history, but also an opportunity to renew Parque 17 de Febrero´s commitment to be a place for meeting, faith, and learning.