L-Istrina auction in aid of Asia victims

All the proceeds from an auction to be held in a follow-up to L-Istrina TV charity marathon last Sunday will be donated to the victims of the tsunami that devastated South East Asian coastlines on Boxing Day.

The tsunami hit as the TVM programme was edging towards raising more than Lm800,000 for Maltese charities.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima, who chairs a special selection committee which chooses the beneficiaries, said the committee decided at an urgent meeting that the auction proceeds would be donated to the region as aid from the Maltese people.

Peppi Azzopardi, one of the organisers of L-Istrina, said Lm26,000 worth of gifts were left over from the programme on Boxing Day because there was not enough time left to give them away. They will now be auctioned on Sunday live on television.

Magistrate Padovani Grima said the idea to donate some of the L-Istrina funds to the tsunami victims followed a suggestion by Opposition Leader Alfred Sant during the marathon fund-raiser. Many people had also felt such a donation should be made.

President Eddie Fenech Adami said the Malta Community Chest Fund had accepted the proposal and his office was in continuous contact with the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the money the Maltese would donate would get to the desired destination in the best way possible.

The money, he said, could possibly be donated to a Commonwealth country affected by the disaster.

The auction is being held on TVM between 1-7 p.m. More than 80 works of art have been donated and interested persons can start bidding online.

Money can also be donated by dialling 5004 9005 (Lm5) and 5004 9010 (Lm10) or by sending an SMS to 5061 9205 (Lm5).

www.istrina.org.mt