Businessmen need to dig their hands deep into their pockets during next week's L-Istrina, President George Abela said yesterday in a heartfelt appeal for donations towards the annual charity campaign.

"I expect them to be generous," he said, adding that the global recession should not be used as an excuse not to make donations.

"There is no recession in disease," he continued in reference to some of the people who would be helped by the money raised in the Boxing Day telethon organised on behalf of the Community Chest Fund.

He stressed that people who were doing well financially should not just give something small simply to have a clear conscience.

"I know that businesses have suffered because of the economic crisis but I'm pretty sure that they can fork out more money for people in need," he said.

Last year businessmen gave away some €1.5 million worth of consumer goods that were then put into a lottery to be won by people calling in to donate money during the 12-hour programme.

This approach to fund-raising - using the offer of a prize to help draw in the donors - has worked in terms of bringing in the cash: millions have been passed on to the Fund over the years via L-Istrina.

But critics have seen it as tainting the cause because donations may not always be given out of pure altruism. The bonanza of prizes will not feature in this year's L-Istrina, a decision taken by Dr Abela but which is expected to test the people's generosity.

Although he stopped short of saying that businessmen should donate in cash an amount equivalent to the gifts they had given away last year, the President was not coy about his expectations. "I am highlighting the needs and I am pretty sure that people will respond to that."

Between January and November, the Malta Community Chest Fund made available more than €700,000 - over €100,000 more than it received from last year's L-Istrina telethon - to help 2,500 people. A third of the cash went to help those who needed treatment abroad.

Last month, the President and his wife, Margaret, visited Maltese people who were in London for medical reasons and Dr Abela spoke emotionally about their heart-wrenching stories.

A mother of two was accompanying her 18-month-old daughter who needed a transplant. Another woman had been waiting for a liver transplant for five months, unable to spend more than an hour away from a hospital, not knowing how long she would have to wait. A Gozitan boy needs twice-monthly treatment in the UK costing €100,000 each time.

"I have seen people in agony. People in real need. Families who are really suffering. And we are there to help them," he said.

"The government is doing its part but this is not enough. The public also has to do its part," he said, adding that expenses were enormous and social services were finite.

He stressed that the Fund could no longer depend solely on one annual event but had to create new ones in order to raise greater amounts of money, needed to improve people's quality of life.

"The needs are great," he told The Times, adding that he estimated the Fund would help some 3,000 people next year.

In previous years the Malta Community Chest Fund received half of the money raised during L-Istrina, after expenses were paid off, because the rest was passed on to Public Broadcasting Services, which hosts the show, and distributed among a number of voluntary organisations. This year, all the money will go to the MCCF, which will also donate money to 18 organisations.

Asked whether the fund-raising by the two big political parties, which on Sunday collected a total of €621,136 - €410,625 by the Nationalist Party and €210,511 by the Labour Party - could have a negative impact on L-Istrina, Dr Abela said parties collected money for different reasons. He had no doubt, though, that when they heard of other people's suffering, the Maltese would dig deep and give.

"This is not charity. These people have the right to a good quality of life and if they cannot manage on their own, we need to help them."

While the political parties had their own needs, the Community Chest Fund was dealing with human life, people whose condition could be terminal if they did not receive help.

"They have no other choice. Sometimes it's just a case of giving them more time, but they are entitled to it," he said.

Yesterday, Dr Abela unveiled a new song, Dinja Ġdida (a new world), sung by several Eurovision contestants. It highlights the ordeals of those who are suffering and the need for people to help each other. He also unveiled a new logo for the MCCF.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.