Somos FCC - Nº11

Esther Koplowitz has been awarded by the digital economic newspaper Merca2 for her great philanthropic work over a quarter of a century and has received the ‘Patronage of the Decade’ award for her work through the Foundation that bears her name. The award was presented last night during the gala of the second edi- tion of the Merca2 Awards, at the Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid, which was attended by political, institutio- nal and executive representatives of major companies. These awards are aimed at recognising companies, entrepreneurs and personalities who have stood out for boosting the Spa- nish economy and for promoting and disseminating the Spain Brand. Since 1970 The Esther Koplowitz Foundation, created in 1970 although it was ins- titutionalised on 13 December 1995, focuses its work on the elderly, al- most always without resources, on people with different physical and mental capacities and on the ad- vancement of biomedical research, in addition to granting scholarships and study grants. Residences Since its creation, it has contributed to the construction and equipping of the Nuestra Casa Residence, in Co- llado Villalba (Madrid) with a capaci- ty for more than 140 residents, plus 60 day places, which since 2001 offers excellent facilities, both for elderly people who are still in good health, and for those affected by di- seases such as Alzheimer’s. She has also built the Fort Pienc Residence, in Barcelona, focused on providing accommodations for elderly people who require care of different nature depending on their current situation, with a capacity for more than 140 residents, plus 60 day places. She has also built and equi- pped a third residence, Nostra Casa del Vall de la Ballestera, in Valencia, for people with different physical and mental abilities who require highly specialised care. The residence fea- tures all types of facilities for the care and treatment of the 60 individuals who live there; and a second building of the Nido Foundation, in Madrid, as a rehabilitation centre for children with cerebral palsy. Research On the other hand, the Esther Ko- plowitz Centre in Barcelona, one of the largest biomedical research centres in Europe, was inaugurated on 4 October 2010. The CEK con- tinues to produce a lot of science, with more than 100 scientific articles a year and makes important contri- butions in different fields, such as oncology, digestive diseases and arteriosclerosis and diseases re- lated to poverty, including malaria. The centre employs 500 scientists including researchers and experts on various scientific platforms. In addition, she has also been res- ponsible for the donation of the first surgery robot to the Hospital Clínico in Madrid, where it performed 1095 operations, and for the construction and equipping of a student residence at the Francisco de Vitoria Universi- ty, where more than 1,600 scholars- hips will have been awarded by the end of this year. It has also donated to more than 200 charities. Awards In recognition of all her work, Esther Koplowitz has received numerous distinctions, including the Grand Cross of Social Solidarity, awarded by HM the Queen Sofia; the Grand Cross of Civil Merit; the Grand Cross of the Guardia Civil for its help to victims; the Blanquerna Pri- ze from the Generalitat of Catalonia; the Gold Medal from the University of Barcelona, and she is an adopted daughter of the cities of Barcelona and Valencia. In addition to Esther Koplowitz’s ti- reless philanthropic work for more than 25 years, there is also an ex- traordinary personal dedication ai- med at making happy the people who have access to the benefits of her Foundation. Esther Koplowitz, awarded for her great work in philanthropy F C C G R O U P 6 F C C G R O U P