{"id":3085,"date":"2016-10-04T15:26:49","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T15:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/?p=3085"},"modified":"2016-10-04T15:26:49","modified_gmt":"2016-10-04T15:26:49","slug":"maria-esther-bueno-enjoyed-the-special-celebration-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mariabueno.org\/indextemp.php\/maria-esther-bueno-enjoyed-the-special-celebration-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Maria Esther Bueno enjoyed the special celebration at home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sociedade Harmonia de T\u00eanis honours a great champion…<\/h2>\n
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Maria Esther Bueno admires a montage of her career<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a very special party, the likes of which Sociedade Harmonia de T\u00eanis members had not experienced before, and it was all to celebrate their home-grown treasure – Maria Esther Bueno – who thoroughly enjoyed the whole occasion!<\/p>\n

In a year that saw Maria Esther honoured by the naming of the Olympic Tennis Stadium ahead of Rio 2016, her home club saw fit to pay their own tribute to the great champion by inviting 500 guests to a grand lunch on Saturday 1 October.<\/p>\n

The day was sponsored by the Faculdade das Americas, a local private collage founded in 1998 that offers higher education in a variety of academic fields, including science, technology, communications, medicine, design, engineering and management.<\/p>\n

\"13043772_1007590062665799_6514321354495074915_n\"<\/a>With two units already established in S\u00e3o Paulo, the college is among Brazil’s most innovative universities, with a teaching methodology akin to those used by the most prestigious world institutions delivered by master teachers and doctors and utilising an excellent infrastructure of state of the art laboratories.<\/p>\n

Founded by Leila Mejdalani Pereira and her husband, Jos\u00e9 Roberto Lamacchia, FAM\u00a0 [Faculty of the Americas] now trains thousands of young people for the professional labour market.<\/p>\n

FAM also supports the local community through sponsorship of various activities, including the Family Team tournament at Harmonia for the second year running.<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Wilton Carvalho, Director of Tennis at the Sociedade Harmonia de T\u00eanis; Maria Esther Bueno, tennis legend and guest of honour; Leila Pereira, Director-General of the Faculty of the Americas and Joca Levy, President of the club.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI was privileged to have lunch with Leila last week and she really impressed me,\u201d said Maria Esther.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough we are both members of the same club, we had never met before but it felt like we had been friends for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe told me it is important to have good role models, especially for women, because Brazil is still a very male-orientated society, and that helping to focus attention on my accomplishements helps to promote the role of women in all walks of life, not only in Brazil but all around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t agree more. Women have to work harder and be more determined [than men] to succeed in business and in sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven now, after all that I have done, I sometimes feel my achievements get forgotten or overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tribute, by my club and my fellow members, is something very special for me because it is recognition by my friends and colleagues, by the people who are close to me and that I see every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A fun-filled day<\/h2>\n

The \u2018Homenagem\u2019 began with a tennis clinic for the kids, followed by an on-court demonstration by Maria Esther with Head Pro Mauro Menezes, after which there was a lavish lunch with entertainment held outdoors in the beautiful gardens of the club.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was so happy to be able to invite my family and many people who I have been working with – from TV Globo and SporTV, Bradesco, Pirelli, Rolex and Rio 2016,\u201d Maria Esther said. \u201cIt was wonderful to have them there on this special day for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe club did an incredible job with organising all the arrangements and it all went off perfectly! The food was delicious and I was amazed at the video they showed of my career on the giant screens – I think Mauro had a lot to do with that!<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then they gave me the most incredible gift I have received – a limited edition Nissan Rio 2016 car, all wrapped up in a giant bow!<\/p>\n

\u201cI was completely speechless, which is saying something for me!!<\/p>\n

\u201cSo very generous and thoughtful because it is customised especially for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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