The high school Privado Marista San José del Parque recently opened the doors of its dining room so that 120 people from the association Ángeles Urbanos could have their Christmas dinner. The students of the Master's Degree in management of Communication Companies (MEGEC), that the University of Navarra has in the campus of Madrid, were in charge of buying the food, preparing it, serving it and serving it.

It all started a few weeks before when the association Urban Angels, which protects families of children with Down Syndrome, asked Miguel Angel Sanchez, student of MEGEC, if he could become position of the Christmas dinner organized in Madrid. He told class about this possibility and the response was unanimous. The quotation was for Sunday, December 14. The idea was to make position of everything: think of the menu, buy the food, plan and elaborate everything necessary so that it would not be just another dinner, but the Christmas dinner of those people who often do not have much to eat.

Those who could not attend that day were in charge of designing the menu that adorned the tables, recorded the carols that enlivened the dinner, or made every effort to get a microwave and a mixer.

The fact that 120 people were able to celebrate Christmas was also possible thanks to Avanza ONG, which made available to the students of Master's Degree the kitchenware and Christmas items that decorated the tables.

Isabellle de Coursson made potato omelettes, Isabel Olloqui prepared the ingredients for the shrimp cocktail; Lucía Retuerto prepared the sauce for the meat, Blanca Formariz displayed her art in making brownies and Belén Almodóvar to decorate them. In the morning, the tables and decorative elements were set up. Pintxos and hot dogs were prepared for the children. Someone had donated some venison loins and a baker gave away portions of a cake with a smile made in chocolate.

The astonishment of the diners as they entered the dining room was overwhelming. "But who prepared all this?" they asked. "We wanted to make a dinner not only with ingredients, but with a lot of love," answered one student. "And that is always grade".

Barbara, Mercedes, Elena and Rosa, friends of Isabel Olloqui, also helped out. Rosa delighted the little ones with dogs made of balloons, which were given to them at the end of the dinner.

"This subject of activities gives Christmas the true meaning it has that, often, due to the current dynamics of the society in which we live, remains in the background. This dinner has been a grounding cable that has connected us with solidarity and the satisfaction of making the simple -something like preparing a dinner- a happy moment", says Matías Aylwin. 

"To Ángeles Urbanos, plus Avanza ONG, plus high school Privado Marista San José del Parque, plus the students of MEGEC, plus all the people who made this dinner possible, to all of them our thanks," says Miguel Ángel Sánchez. "It all adds up," he assures.