The canteens receiving the meat
A special donation during the holidays. The wild boar hunters of the Orobic teams, members of the Bergamo Prealps Alpine Hunting District, donated 150kg of wild boar meat to some needy areas in the Bergamo area. The “Solidarity Boar” project was wanted by Fortunato Busana, member Lions and President of the Cpa and saw as great protagonists the hunters belonging to the wild boar teams and above all Federcaccia Bergamo, which made a contribution to start the initiative and managed the operations thanks to the President Michele Bornaghi and the managers Maurizio Volpi and Giovanni Morlotti. The donation is part of the Lions Bergamo Host project regarding "Food recovery": the wild boar meat was sent to the canteens of the Capuchin friars of Bergamo and that of the Quercia di Mamre of Treviglio.
The support of the Lombardy Region
The wild boar meat managed to contribute to a merry Christmas and peaceful holidays for the people assisted by the aforementioned canteens. The initiative had the approval and support of the Councilor for Agriculture, Hunting and Fishing Alessandro Beduschi. “I am doubly proud both as a Lion and as a hunting manager of this solidarity initiative - explains Fortunato Busana -. Together with Past President Pierantonio Bombardieri, I proposed it at a meeting in Milan to Councilor Beduschi who was enthusiastic about it. It falls within the scope of the "Food Recovery" project carried out by the Bergamo Host Lions Club. The first to join the "Cinghiale Solidale" were the wild boars from Bergamo, but the news has recently emerged that other wild boars from ANUU in Brescia and Italccaccia in Varese will join. We have thus begun a virtuous circle that allows us to show solidarity and present public opinion with a more appropriate image of the figure of the hunter, in this case ethical and supportive".
A diverse Natale
The great protagonists were the hunters, coordinated by Federcaccia, who in a few weeks, from the beginning of December to before Christmas, were operational to give the less fortunate a different Christmas. The donated carcasses, once killed, were gutted and delivered the same day or the following day to one of the CLS, namely Putti (which did not request any compensation for the processing) in Ponteranica or Serpellini in Sovere. The Monte Bronzone, Le Formiche, Brembana-Imagna, Amici Valle Seriana, Boschi, Solengo, La Scartina, Fil di Fer and Mirabile wild boar hunting teams were operational. “Involved in starting the project by understanding the validity of the initiative - explained MIchele Bornaghi - we immediately worked by involving the team leaders from Bergamo and with the help of Maurizio Volpi and Giovanni Morlotti the health procedure was immediately drawn up, so that the first delivery of meat could already occur and take place before Christmas. To facilitate the start of the project we paid a financial contribution as Federcaccia, in order to allow the slaughter of the meat according to the health procedure. The greatest thanks goes to the Bergamo wild boar hunters, who already usually take part in various charitable activities in their territories and also on this occasion they did not miss the call. We hope to be able to continue the project with selection hunters too."
Food surpluses
This project, managed by coordinator Pierantonio Bombardieri, is based on the redistribution of food surpluses, such as fresh products that are still edible, in order to support families in difficulty. The project began in 2019: during the first intervention 40 thousand euros were invested and in the 2nd and 3rd 80 thousand euros and a Lions contribution of 80 thousand euros for a total of 200 thousand euros. Products worth over 2.210.000 euros were recovered and distributed. 875.350 people were served, through 70 associations in the area with the help of 55 volunteers and with the social inclusion of around 28 people in 2022 alone. “Once we received the news from both Busana and Federcaccia Bergamo - explained Maurizio Volpi - the project was immediately understood and approved during a meeting in which the team leaders were enthusiastic about contributing part of the game. There was little time left to carry out the project because it closes at the end of December: the initiative was nevertheless supported by all the teams. We hope it will be redone in the future and can also be extended to the selectors, which effectively operate all year round. I do not rule out the possibility that it may also be open to other ungulates given the large numbers present in our territory" (source: FIDC).