José Luis Castaño radiates with enthusiasm, even if there is not much fun in his town, Liétor, dismayed by what happened in the neighboring municipality of Letur, in Albacete, 50 kilometers away and where DANA has left dead and destroyed. It is for this reason that the fourth edition of the race that José Luis and Adela López, his wife, are organizing in memory of their deceased son, José, will take place this year in memory of their six missing compatriots.
The San Silvestre La Smile de José, which is the name of the test, will distribute the money collected between Letur and Afanion, the Association of Families of Children with Cancer of Castilla-La Mancha, to which they have already donated more than 46,000 euros. . This is the ‘leitmotif’ of this activityin which those who run the most will not win, but those who are best disguised according to the opinion of a commission composed of foreigners to avoid suspicion.
In this town of 1,000 inhabitants, the race will not take place on December 31, like the vast majority, but on the 7th at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, even if other activities will be planned in the morning. The registration period is now open and the organizers hope to beat last year’s fundraising record, more than 19,000 euros. They hope to exceed this figure thanks to registrations, draws, auctions, donations and the sale of “Miguelitos”, one of the typical sweets of the town of Albacete, La Roda, located 100 kilometers away .
Adela and José Luis are not the only ones organizing this event, which includes a nine-kilometer race through the mountains and another one of one kilometer through this beautiful town nestled at the foot of the Sierra de Segura and in the valley of the Mundo River. They have the support and collaboration of friends, who have already received numerous items to raffle: a muleta from the bullfighter Roca Rey and another from Manuel Escribano, as well as stockings from the right-hander Alejandro Talavante, among others. “The world of bullfighting supports us,” says José Luis, who has videos of the communicator Joaquín Guzmán and the comedian Agustín Durán to promote the event.
Before the misfortune of Letur happened, the best-known neighbor of this beautiful city also sent Adela and José Luis a video in which the singer Rozalén encouraged them to participate. “I have not yet published it out of respect for her and her compatriots, and I will leave it for later,” explains the father of José, who would be 7 years old today if cancer had not calmed his eternal immortal smile. .
