A gift free Istrina this year

Brian Hansford

Aug 2nd 2009, 01:28

Prosit lil President ta' Malta ghad decizzjoni ghaqlija li ha biex l-istrina tkun minghajr rigali.

hsammut

Jul 27th 2009, 22:37

well done

D Farrugia

Jul 27th 2009, 13:04

While the principle is absolutely right i still think that L'Istrina will be worse off this year ie. less money in the charitable institutions coffers.

I'd love to be proved wrong but in most probability i will be proved right. I'm sure everyone's gut feeling or the majority's feel this will happen.

If offering gifts serves the purpose then i would have left it as it was. At the end of the day it is a question of raising money to those in need. It is supposed to be also a question of values yes but unfortunately this is the material world we live in.

If we were living in an ideal world with values, giving without expecting nothing in return then there will be no wars no conflicts no poverty everyone living in peace. But unfortunately we are not...

Look at Somalia, at the Sudan... Such countries do not have anything to offer in return such as oil so the world leaves them, abandons them to their own faith. Not oil rich countries like Kuwait, then we will wage war!

Joseph Debono

Jul 27th 2009, 09:39

I think that the items that where given away as prizes should be sold out at discounted prices and that way more money can be made for hose who need it.

Pierre Farrugia

Jul 27th 2009, 08:32

A step in the right direction and the President is certainly doing what is right. Those who disagree with the proposal to remove the lotteries from l-istrina should perhaps do some soul searching and reassess their values.

Charity is giving without expecting anything in return.

Companies that used to donate gifts, such as cars, plasma screens, free subscriptions to different services and so on considered l-Istrina as a platform to reach out to the masses, a form of advertising.

Joe V Scerri

Jul 27th 2009, 00:27

Well Done and thanks for trying to restore the meaning of Charity!!

Joseph Schembri

Jul 26th 2009, 17:25

@Cedric Busuttil: To answer your question .... No. Smiles are hard to transfer over a phone. Further to that I'd rather donate my hard earned cash directly to a charity that through some government administered foundation. God only knows what overhead they have!! Now I have to find another way to win an air condtioner ...

N. Gerada

Jul 26th 2009, 16:43

Mela mhux ha nilhquh il-miljun dis-sena!!!

C. BRIFFA

Jul 26th 2009, 14:14

Well Done.

Patrick Vella

Jul 26th 2009, 12:13

Well done Mr. President for your great idea and your decision.

Frans H Said

Jul 26th 2009, 10:31

Good show, it was a huge mistake from day one. People think they can invent the wheel. Way back from 1952 up to 1970 I used to collect thousands for the Needy Children Christmas Parties and people gave willingly for such a noble cause. But there are those who want to take the glory of being the first when in fact they are only capable of copying. I now hope that the presentation will no longer be a monopoly. I had suggested to PBS and the previous president but the powers that be were afraid of threading on any sacred toes. I still have valid ideas if there is anybody who wants to listen

Joseph Masini

Jul 26th 2009, 10:04

Well Done President, and let this be a test for the Maltese- generosity is when you give without expecting to receive anything back...

G. Mangion

Jul 26th 2009, 09:57

A gift free Istrina this year why to show how all of us are that generuzi lol.
Ok evrerybody has his opinion, and I do wish that the coming Strina will be a Success.
but dont tell me this change, is to show how Generous, us Maltese are lol.
I see nothing wrong if a donator wins a prize, as long as Listrina reaches its goal.
was there anything wrong with the prizes ? if so what ? Dont tell me its all about Morality !

mary Pace

Jul 26th 2009, 09:48

While I agree with President Abela , that it should be no gifts strina, I think it will be a negative affect, & people will give less this year,because there are poeple , who give more then once so they WIN a PRIZE! so this year they are going to give, IF THEY GIVE only once, & thats less money, I hope I'm wrong, But thats how I fell, it will happen, LESS MONEY FOR STRINA.

Charles Micallef

Jul 26th 2009, 09:40

I totally agree without any reservations that this should have always been. "A gift free Istrina".
I commented some years back that we either going to raise money for a charity, or we are going to run a national lottery day, as I do not believe that the two go together.

I would like to see the cars and other expensive items donated to be auctioned and proceeds go towards the cause.

Tony Paris

Jul 26th 2009, 09:28

At last! Hats off Dr. Abela. What a breadth of fresh air! You truly are a President of the people. Thank you. Thank you!

S. Spagnol

Jul 26th 2009, 09:09

I think that the sponsors that used to contribute by offering gifts, should be contacted just the same this year... to contribute by giving (a fraction of) the amount they used to give, this time in cash.

Cedric Busuttil

Jul 26th 2009, 08:57

@Joseph Schembri..... Everyone has right for his opinion. It's not nice and good to judge but I would be ashamed of myself to write such. Even if its a gift free event you would still be receiving. Have you ever felt the joy and proudness in yourself after donating your €5? This usually happens to someone who knows that he has contributed for a better life. Even receiving back a smile pays enough. I'll be more than happy and will donate your €5 as well even if in tough times :)




better life.

Criss Camilleri

Jul 26th 2009, 08:31

For those who do not agree. Now is the time to see how much you will be 'giving' to the needy, without expecting anything back as a prize.

simon saliba

Jul 25th 2009, 21:24

Are we still going to see cheques of Euros 25,000 donated to the peoples in need, or big businesses were doing so to evade taxes?

Joseph Schembri

Jul 25th 2009, 21:03

AS other gift free telethons have shown ... people do not give without the chance to receive. Unfortunately this will be much of the same ... in fact I always "donated" for the chance of winning an air conditioner (or reverse osmosis, or a motor bike, etc.). I'll gladly keep my €5 now ...

l. Schembri

Jul 25th 2009, 20:35

Well done President Abela for putting a stop to the Strina lotteries. Now let's see if the Maltese are as kind-hearted as they are renowned to be or whether they have become too materialistic to care. My only concern is that a gift-free Strina will have a negative effect on the Dar tal-Providenza marathon which takes place a few days later and which has always been a huge success precisely because it was gift-free.

stephen farrugia

Jul 25th 2009, 20:25

Well done to the Rightwing for this change after years of disagreement.

Pauline Farrugia

Jul 25th 2009, 20:21

Whilst I agree with the moral thought behind the decision that has been taken to remove the 'prize incentive' from Istrina, I must agree with David Thake that the important thing at the end of the day is getting the most money possible for charity. I can't help but think that there will definately be quite a drastic drop in donations this time around.

Let's hope the Maltese people prove me wrong. I hope I'm wrong.

Stephanie Caruana

Jul 25th 2009, 20:16

Well done to the Community Chest Fund and to President George Abela for this great idea! I'm sure that the donations will flow inn altough no Plasma TV's will be won!

Peter Carabott

Jul 25th 2009, 20:16

I admire the President for taking such a decision. I was always disgusted with the way L-Istrina was done. No one was actually seeing how many families were being ruined with compulsive gamblers phoning in continuously just to win prizes. Is this what we want?

Now we will know the kind heartendness of our country

RMangion

Jul 25th 2009, 20:10

I am usually responding telephones every year at Istrina and I heard comments some times " Maaa I already phoned three times and won nothing"

martin saliba

Jul 25th 2009, 19:57

This year i can feel good that i have tried to help people in need. Although i do give for a specific cause every year i will be donating to istrina this year. In the past people were conned into thinking that they were going to win and that is worse than thw gambling attitude people adopted especially when the big prizes were up for grab by those who could afford to make tens of phone calls.

A. Muscat

Jul 25th 2009, 19:52

Was Ranier Fsadni wrong or right?

On 28 December 2006 columnist Ranier Fsadni wrote in his article L-Istrina's moral imagination.
With L-Istrina annual telethon only a couple of days away, I suspect most readers are bracing themselves for (or against) the event widely considered an icon of national generosity, and somewhat less widely denounced for the "impure", self-interested donations it solicits by awarding so, so many delectable prizes to people who phone in. But it is not that debate that piques my interest: It is the cultural peculiarities.

John Gatt

Jul 25th 2009, 19:49

Sorry to say but I dont agree. Its nice to give without getting back anything but its also nice to receive. One must not forget that this year mobile operators removed the time windows. I think much less will be collected.

G. Attard

Jul 25th 2009, 19:46

@Andrea Portelli,

I think you are going to be in for a very pleasant surprise. I don't think that this will effect donations one bit. I for one will be donating the usual amount just like last year.

Donald Borg

Jul 25th 2009, 19:41

God's providence is greater than the gifts. We cannot turn our faces the other way when our brothers and sisters need our genorosity.

Mark Spiteri

Jul 25th 2009, 19:30

No more ghadek kif erbaht or int qatt erbaht ?
CEMPEL ISSA ha tirbah.
Dan u lahhar cans tieghek biex terbah dan ir rigal il kbir.

What a relief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

carmel zammit

Jul 25th 2009, 19:22

i always contributed to l istrina half heartedly cause it was like a lottery but this time round i will gladly pay my donation from the bottom of my heart well done to the President and the CCF for this it will surely be a success.hekk nuru kemm ahna generozi

D Zammit

Jul 25th 2009, 19:11

I'll donate for the first time

Gordon Galea

Jul 25th 2009, 19:02

Now it makes sense.....KIF TISTA MA CCEMPILX!!!

v Battistino

Jul 25th 2009, 18:54

Why doesn't the MCCF accept gifts from companies, give them advertising space and donate these gifts to the needy, or auction them to the public to raise the funds.....

otherwise......well done !

a donation is such when you don't expect and accept anything back, otherwise its bartering or buying !

SIMON AMATO

Jul 25th 2009, 18:53

A BREATH OF FRESH IDEAS!!. THANKS TO OUR PRESIDENT DR ABELA. WELL DONE MR PRESIDENT. THIS WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR MALTESE PPL!!. ISSA NARAW...

TBORG

Jul 25th 2009, 18:47

Fl-ahhar xi haga bis-sens, u mhux ser nisimghu il-frazi 'inti qatt irbaht? mela ghalhekk erbaht!!!'

bernice agius

Jul 25th 2009, 18:40

a new experience for LTM employees! lets make this a sucess like all other events!

David Thake

Jul 25th 2009, 18:35

I am not sure I agree with this.

The aim of Istrina is to raise money for the CCF. The gifts were certainly encouraging people to donate even if their reason was to try and win a prize. Ultimately, the money they donated went into the CCF.

Are we now saying that we would rather raise 100,000 Euros donated from the heart to 500,000 that came because of gifts?

Will the purer money feed more hungry mouths? I doubt it...

D.Borg

Jul 25th 2009, 18:33

I am positively sure that the people will be more generous to prove that they are not gambling for gifts. The Beatitudes are the best guide.

Andrea Portelli

Jul 25th 2009, 18:27

Hats off to the President

It's about time people stop phoning that gambling show just for a prize. Now we'll see how many donations the Maltese will give knowing that there wont be any gift trolleys.