The construction of the ‘Wall of Hope’, this morning, in Largo do Município, had the participation of a few hundred children and their families, but in a much smaller number than usual. Contrary to what happened in years without a pandemic, there was no mobilization of schools nor was there an animation show in the place. Even without so many, the tradition was fulfilled and many tourists followed the event as part of the Flower Festival program.
Present at Largo do Município, the secretary of Tourism, Eduardo Jesus, stated that the staff with fewer people was “purposeful: “We did not organize this party in 2021 in the same parameters as we always did until 2019 because we are still experiencing the pandemic and not we can be the ones who motivate a concentration of thousands of children here, when we know that it is a universe that also needs to be very careful”. Alternatively, the Regional Government has chosen to agree with schools how children can participate in the ‘ Wall of Hope’ in an organized and coordinated way, so that “it is not that agglomerate that is usually built in Praça do Município”.
Eduardo Jesus said that there is no intention to change the event’s model, because it remains valid. “It’s a limitation that comes from the pandemic. But we didn’t want to stop building the Wall of Hope. When a child comes here and puts a flower, it ends up expressing a gesture of hope for the world. Even when we live in a final phase of this pandemic caused by the Covid-19, this moment transmitted by a child has a special meaning,” he said.
Much closer to normality should be the Flower Festival next year, with more people and in the spring period. “We are forecasting our entire calendar for 2022, already within the normality of what we were used to in previous years”, revealed the secretary of Tourism.