DANBURY

Casa do Benfica General Assembly President Fernando Violante, former Casa do Benfica President Virgilio Martins, President of the Sport Lisboa and Benfica club Luis Filipe Vieira, Mayor Mark Boughton, Danbury Casa do Benfica President Manuel de Sousa and Treasury Antônio Casimiro Hundreds of fans and friends of the Sport Lisboa and Benfica Club gathered outside in the cold weather to celebrate the official grand opening of the new Casa do Benfica on Main Street in Danbury. The event took place on February 21, with special guests, the President of the Sport Lisboa and Benfica club Luis Filipe Vieira, who flew from Portugal to visit a few clubs in the United States, including the one in Danbury, and the Vice President of the Casas do Benfica Domingos Almeida Lima.

Red and white colors on balloons, ties and official Benfica scarves created a lively atmosphere for the arrival of the soccer team’s president, who was anticipated to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Current President of the Danbury Casa do Benfica Manuel de Souza introduced Mayor Mark Boughton, who welcomed Vieira to Danbury and emphasized the contributions of the Portuguese community to the city.

“Danbury is the home of a vibrant Portuguese community that has made social and cultural contributions to the historic fabric of our city. We hope to continue to foster a long-lasting relationship between the City of Danbury and the Casa Do Benfica in Danbury,” said Boughton.

The program continued at the Portuguese Cultural Center, where over 400 guests gathered for a traditional Portuguese feast with lots of music and dancing. The Casa Do Benfica in Danbury was founded on May 1, 2002 within the Portuguese Cultural Center as a cultural, recreational, sports association. It was awarded its official certificate of Casa Do Benfica number 167 in October of 2003. The facility is located at 331 Main Street.