Music and money for the homeless

The annual Rookie’s Charity Music Marathon has grown to spread over seven days to raise funds for the homeless both in Malta and Brazil.

It will be held at Rookie’s Sports Bar in Buġibba between Wednesday and Sunday, with an added weekend between April 8 and 9, in aid of YMCA and Mission of Mercy in Brazil.

Music marathon organiser and Rookie’s owner Chris Ciappara said the YMCA had helped to launch new bands on the local scene and this was their way of thanking it for what it had done in the past.

The charity event has been held by the bar for a decade and was constantly getting stronger. “It used to be one day, last year it grew to three and now it is seven,” he said, adding that almost €2,000 were raised in three days in 2010.

“We are hoping to collect more during this longer event,” Mr Ciappara said.

The bar offers local bands a platform to play whenever it can and over 40 – more than expected – have signed up for the marathon, including seven new acts, which are debuting on the occasion.

“The idea is to combine our push to local music with a charitable aim,” he said.

The bands will be playing a 40-minute set for free and donations can be made at the venue or by sending an SMS to 5061 8088 for €4.66 and 5061 9212 for €11.65.

A percentage of the bar takings will also be going to charity and, on the longest day of the event, the staff members will donate their wages.

Mario Saliba, YMCA’s youth programme coordinator, said the money would be used for its daily services, which included social support. Its jobbing centre in Merchants Street, Valletta counts about 40 interventions a day and has now employed two new community workers to reach out to people in distress rather than wait for them to drop in.

Any funds would also go towards its emergency home in Valletta, offering shelter to a full complement of 22, including children.

In Brazil, the money raised is destined for children and young mothers on the streets and for a new school the Mission of Mercy is in the process of building.