(ANS – La Paz) – On Saturday 12 April to celebrate the fourteenth anniversary of the founding of the Salesian University of Bolivia - USB (1998-2012), the XII “Entrada Folclórica USB”  a parade in traditional costumes in which students of all the departments took part wound through the streets of La Paz. Dressed in the highly colourful traditional dress they marched to the entrance of the Institute.

The  group responsible for public order and that for Youth Ministry began the march with a ceremony accompanied by the band of the Don Bosco Institute in Pampahassi, which has taken part in the event for seven years. At the head of the procession were Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco officially enthroned at the Institute entrance.

Following were 34 groups of the various confraternities, some with as many as 400 members, preceded by their own directors and staff from USB. The confraternities took their place  on the tribune of honour set up in the University Square in front of the monument to Don Bosco. 4,500 university students, 990 musicians and many other groups were in the march with the slogan “A peoples’ culture without alcohol” supporting an anti-alcoholism social campaign.

The university students responsible for Public Relations coordinated the various parts of the event. Radio Salesiana, from USB, broadcast live coverage of the occasion between  9.00 and 20.30 (when it concluded); Canal 18 of Católica Televisión, in collaboration with Radio Salesiana, broadcast 6 hours of the parade which lasted 10 hours.

The university students were also accompanied by others and by the administrative staff  as well as a group of 25 who had come for the occasion from Cochabamba.

The final group were students from the Psychomotor section with 400 students and 30 staff who gave a moving tribute to Mary Help of Christians. At the conclusion there was a fireworks display, acrobatics and dancing.

Published 27/04/2012