The residential home for disabled people – Id-Dar tal-Providenza – will today open its doors to the public, welcoming donations which will go a long way towards sustaining its respite services for the year.

The 16th edition of the fund-raising marathon will start at 9 a.m. and wrap up at around midnight.

About 600 people will be lending a helping hand in the event, which will also be broadcast live on all TV stations.

A park-and-ride service will be provided from Siġġiewi parish square and the old runway in Siġġiewi from 2 p.m.

Donations can also be made at the RTK radio studios in Blata l-Bajda, via telephone on 5160 2012 for a €10 donation, 5170 2013 for €15 and 5180 2014 for €25, via SMS on 5061 8922 for a donation of €7 or online at www.rtk4charity.org.

Id-Dar tal-Providenza, set up in 1965 by the late Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, houses 100 people with mental and physical disabilities on a permanent basis and provides respite services to 50 others.

The home needs €10,000 every day to operate or €3.5 million a year. A record €668,217 was raised last year.

The RTK4Charity activities inaid of Dar tal-Providenza kickedoff on Wednesday with a seven-a-side football tournament at St Aloysius College football pitch in Birkirkara.

Today’s event comes less than a week after the annual charity l-Istrina raised a record €2.5 million.