Hitting the half century mark should be celebrated in style but 50 former Aloysians decided to forfeit the traditional party, choosing instead to save people’s lives by donating a portable defibrillator to the Malta Heart Foundation.

Dubbed 50x50x50, 50 former sixth form students who graduated from St Aloysius College in 1976 each donated €50 for their 50th birthday – €1 for each year of their lives.

The initiative was thought up by former Aloysian Robert Agius who suffered a heart attack 11 years ago. “It is my way of making a payment against a debt which will never be repaid,” he said.

“We didn’t want to meet up for dinner or throw a party. We wanted to do something different,” he said.

So, they pooled in and collected €2,500, which was enough to buy a portable defibrillator and donate it to the Malta Heart Foundation, a voluntary organisation headed by heart surgeon Alex Manchè.

Earlier this month, the group met up to celebrate their birthdays in a barbeque where a suckling pig was roasted over a slow-burning fire for hours. During the barbeque, Mr Agius presented the defibrillator to Mr Manchè who praised their initiative and pointed out that its success very much depended on having others follow in their footsteps.

The foundation is promoting the installation of defibrillators over the island as these are easy to use and can save a life. The automatic defibrillator can be used by anyone with first aid training and works by releasing an electric current to the chest area when a person’s heart stops during an attack.

Mr Agius urged everyone to make a similar effort. “Whether for a defibrillator or other worthy cause, organise yourselves and collect the money. It’s amazing just how simple it is and how effective,” he said.