At 8 years old, Lucas Alfaro, a resident of Roble de Alajuela, took on the noble and charitable task of recycling 12,400 plastic bottle caps, a special mission equivalent to a total of 31 kilos, which he delivered with his mother to the collection center of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), located in Uruca.
Specifically, in the central building of this institution is located one of the official collection points of the DONATAPA and Proparques campaign, for the creation of plastic wood and retractable walkways, which are placed on accessible beaches, designed for tourists who need them to access the sea more easily.
His motivation was driven by the close friendship and deep affection he felt for his best friend, who was diagnosed with cancer. As he fondly recalls, at the hospital where he was treated, there was a program that exchanged 3,000 bottle caps to help cover the cost of chemotherapy for a child, in this case his best friend.
This is how Lucas convinced his classmates and teachers at the María Vargas Rodríguez School in Ciruelas de Alajuela, as well as family and friends, to join this cause. However, in the midst of the collective effort, his friend unfortunately passed away, but he continued on, finally managing to deliver several full bags to the ICT and personally depositing them in a symbolic, large, heart-shaped collector.
She then received a special certificate for her contribution to the Social and Environmental Responsibility projects of the Costa Rican Network of Accessible Tourism, creator of the DONATAPA program and responsible for enabling more than 12 accessible beaches on both coasts of our country.
«When my friend got sick, I tried to look everywhere for ways to help him. My mother gave me the idea and I started collecting bottle caps. My friend was out of the hospital for a few days, but he needed a medicine that is only available in Spain. They brought him there, but they couldn't save him either,» Lucas remembers, sobbing.
His mother, Vivian Alfaro, said she was extremely proud of the fact that he was a small boy and tried to help his best friend on his own initiative. "In his innocence, he always had the desire to help and it fills me with great satisfaction, especially because he thought he could help more children with cancer, the environment and people with disabilities.
Act of solidarity transcends borders
The boy's act of nobility transcended borders and his charitable action was presented as a success story, an example and a reflection at the World Congress on Social Tourism (ISTO) held last week at the Costa Rica Convention Center, with the participation of more than 200 representatives from 23 countries from several continents.
«We have paid tribute to his big heart at this congress and we are showing the world that with small actions we can make a big difference. From the Costa Rican Network of Accessible Tourism and the DONATAPA program, it is wonderful how children and adults can be part of it. I feel very proud to be able to officially present a well-deserved certificate, obtained through much effort and love by his friend and many people» said Stephanie Sheehy, founder of this organization.
Rafael Soto, General Manager of ICT, highlighted that "Lucas's wonderful gesture is a clear example of solidarity, one of the objectives and essence of social tourism, tourism with a face, so that all people can have access to leisure, tourism and recreation" concluded Soto.
Source: ICT.