Famalicense Rosa Serra was one of the Portuguese paratrooper nurses who joined the first corps of female soldiers in the Armed Forces, in 1968, and who served during the Overseas War. Between 1969 and 1973, she was in Guinea, Angola and Mozambique, providing health care in combat zones. The bravery and courage of this woman from Famalicão, born in 1946, has already earned her two military commendations and has now earned her the highest municipal award from the Vila Nova de Famalicão City Council - the City's Medal of Honour - which will be presented on 9 July at the solemn session commemorating the 40th City Day, scheduled for 6pm at the Casa das Artes.

‘She was one of the first women to join the parachute corps and an example of courage for the role she played during the war in helping those wounded in combat, a mission that deserves our recognition and merit,’ praises the Mayor, Mário Passos, who will preside over the customary solemn session to award the municipal honours.

The list of honourees will be analysed this Thursday, June 26, at the municipal executive meeting. It is made up of 50 individuals and institutions from Famalicense who have distinguished themselves in the most diverse areas of action in the community.

This is the case with the award of the Municipal Merit Medal to the mayors of the Parish Councils who are now finishing their term of office and to a group of citizens who have performed duties in the service of the public cause. The mayor emphasises the importance of the tribute, ‘for the dedication of these women and men to the community and the territory, in a particularly relevant way, for the pursuit of the common good and the enhancement of the identity and development of our municipality’.

The municipality will honour Associação Gerações with Municipal Merit Medal for Benevolence.

It will also honour Professor Carlos Gomes, founder of Arteduca, writer Jorge Reis-Sá, Camillian José Manuel Oliveira, photographer and editor Libório Silva, painter Maria Filomena Pereira, teacher and director of the D. Sancho I School Group Helena Pereira and architect and illustrator Marta Vilarinho de Freitas with the Municipal Merit Medal for Culture. The Castelões and Cabeçudos Scout Groups, the Nuno Álvares Fraternity from Pousada de Saramagos, the Rancho Folclórico Santa Leocádia from Fradelos and the Forave and CIOR Vocational Schools will also be honoured.

The Municipal Medal of Merit for Science will be awarded to First Lieutenant Engineer Pedro Castro Fernandes, in recognition of technological development with operational application in the maritime domain.

Receiving the Municipal Sports Merit Medal are Miguel Ribeiro, chairman of the Football Club of Famalicão SAD, the Graxa Recreational, Cultural and Sports Association, the Vale São Cosme Recreational and Cultural Association and the Escorpiões Motard Club.

The Municipal Economic Merit Medal will be awarded posthumously to Gabriel Alves Couto, founder of the Gabriel Couto company, Alberto Couto Alves, founder of the ACA Group, Manuel Ferreira Martins, founder of the Campicarn Group and the companies Fábrica de Botões Elite, Francisco de Oliveira & Cia, Carnes Longo, RNM, S. Nogueira & Cia and Telefama. 

The Solemn Session and the singing of Happy Birthday to the city will take place at the Casa das Artes, starting at 18h00. 

City Day will also be marked by the inauguration of Vila, Famalicão's future student residence, at 10h00, and by the Senior Sarau/Picnic, starting at 10h30, in Sinçães Park, with the participation and entertainment of more than 800 senior citizens who are part of the ‘More and Better Years’ municipal programme.