Yesterday in the garden of the Baronial Palace of the Municipality of Sorso the ceremony of awarding the Golden Zimbonia to Claudio Spanu, captain of the Dinamo Lab wheelchair basketball series A team and athlete of the Italian national team, and the Silver Zimbonia was held to the memory of Don Giuseppe Piras, for a lifetime a religious and human point of reference for the entire community and founder of the parish of Santa Monica.
Doing the honors were the councilor Andrea Mangatia and the parish priest of San Pantaleo Don Luca Collu, together with Don Tore and the councilors Antonella Pintus and Valentina Battistelli, who recalled the birth of the Award, recognition, valorisation and reconstruction of events and protagonists who have led, in the course of past, recent and contemporary history, numerous personalities from Sorso to distinguish themselves in the world of culture, art, sport, science, medicine and every other human discipline.
«The profound meaning of the award is that of telling stories - said Don Luca - stories of people who have always tried to give the best of themselves in their fields and have thus made our world, this city of ours, a better place. The stories of Don Piras and Claudio Spanu are very different, two different worlds, distant in time yet closely connected, united by the commitment, efforts and passion that led them to be significant people, capable of leaving their mark, people who represent an example, a model and a great source of pride for the entire community."
With these motivations, the Zimbonia d'Oro Award was awarded to Claudio Spanu, 36 years old, who has been in a wheelchair for 20 years after a motorbike accident when he was 16 years old. A life dedicated to sport at the highest levels, captain of the Serie A wheelchair basketball team Dinamo Lab, athlete of the Italian national team of the same discipline with which he played 3 European championships and a World Championship. «I thank Don Luca and the entire municipal administration because for me it is a great honor to receive this Award - said Claudio Spanu - I have achieved some excellent results but defeats have also been part of the journey, which should not discourage but stimulate. Certainly participating in three European championships and a World Cup was something truly extraordinary, something that I wanted so much and that I worked for even though I didn't know if it would really happen. At 16 I was a kid like many others - he said - I had a passion for motorbikes and one day a trivial fall forced me into a wheelchair. What I would like to say to young people, who are perhaps discouraged by failures or difficulties, whether small or large, is to look beyond and try to make their dreams come true, because everything is achievable, you just need to want it."
The Silver Zimbonia Award in memory of Don Giuseppe Piras was collected by his great-nephews Tina and Vincenzo, who remembered the figure of a priest but also of an extremely sweet, loving uncle who was always in step with the times, with the world and with the critical issues experienced by his community, passionate about life, art and music and always attentive to people's needs. An example, even within his family, of love for life, stubbornness and courage, qualities that allowed him to overcome any difficulty in the difficult path of founding the parish of Santa Monica.
