The ceremony, which coincided with Book Day, took place at the Auditori Municipal Músic Rafael Beltrán Moner. This venue has hosted the event since 2008, thanks to the collaboration of the Fundació Sambori, Escola Valenciana – Federació d’Associacions per la Llengua, and the Department of Linguistic Normalization of the Vila-real City Council.
The Sambori Awards, organized by the Fundació Sambori, are now in their twenty-eighth edition with the aim of spreading the use of Valencian in the educational field. The event served to honor students from all participating categories: early childhood, primary, secondary, baccalaureate, and adults. Three awards were given per category, including a trophy, an honorable mention, and reading books. The winning works from the regional phase will advance to the final phase of the competition.
“"It is more necessary than ever to promote reading and writing in Valencian because it is a guarantee for the future, and encouraging our students to write in Valencian with awards like this not only keeps the language alive but also provides an educational benefit for our children, who, through these awards, have an additional motivation to write."
A representative of the Fundació Sambori Patronage in the Castellón regions thanked the City Council, especially the Department of Linguistic Normalization, for their collaboration in organizing the event. They highlighted the involvement of educational centers in making it possible, once again, to read more stories in Valencian and enjoy such creativity.
The Councilor for Linguistic Normalization emphasized the importance of promoting reading and writing in Valencian as a guarantee for the future. They added that these awards not only keep the language alive but also offer significant educational benefits for students, providing additional motivation to write. The local mayor highlighted the coincidence of the awards ceremony with Book Day and its role as the closing event for the Festa per la Llengua program, consolidating Vila-real as a bastion in the defense and appreciation of Valencian.
