Santa’s Magical Booth at The Duke Shopping Mall in Victoria raised €650 for Puttinu Cares.

Although each session was limited, 250 children eagerly waited to first make their donation and then go in line to enter the magical booth with a telephone, enabling them to speak directly with the man from Lapland.

To make the experience more authentic, there were elves and animation characters. Each child was given sweets and a gift on leaving the booth.

This was an initiative by the owners and management of The Duke to raise funds for Puttinu Cares. The shopping mall’s administrator Maria Farrugia thanked all those involved.

“Word spread around quickly and we went to great lengths to ensure the experience was as authentic as possible. We hope that other charities will also eventually benefit,” she said.