Alive Charity Foundation, the first charity to raise funds for medical research in Malta, presented another donation of €70,000, the fourth one since 2013, to the Research Trust of the University of Malta (RIDT). The money will go towards the University’s specialised programme in children cancer research.
The generous sum was collected by Alive cyclists who last year bravely took up the 1,100km challenge from Croatia to the Vatican City in seven days.
Held at San Anton Palace, under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the presentation was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Chris Agius, Shadow Minister for Local Councils, Youth and Sports, David Agius and the University Pro Rector Joseph Cacciattolo, representing the rector, Alfred Vella, who is also chairman of RIDT.
“In our first four years of the challenge, we have donated over €300,000 to the RIDT to prevent cancer in Malta through medical research.The sponsored research has resulted in ground-breaking discoveries which have enabled more efficient identification of cancers in order to provide targeted treatment,” said Nicky Camilleri, chairman of the Alive Charity Foundation, which forms part of the board of the National Cancer Platform.
“The public is acknowledging the fact that it is important to donate money for medical research for more effective treatment and eventually find cures.”
With the help of main sponsor Remax, Alive has invested another €70,000 in a project to renovate an indoor and outdoor play area within the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre at Mater Dei Hospital. Mr Camilleri said the project would be inaugurated in the coming weeks.
Furthermore, Alive will be launching the Alive Cancer Research Programme in collaboration with the University of Malta.
The money donated in previous years has benefitted three PhD scholarships, with two students researching breast cancer, within the department of Physiology and Biochemistry. A third student is conducting her PhD studies in brain cancer that mainly affects children, within the Department of Anatomy.
The Remax Alive 2017 Cycling Challenge for Cancer will be held from July 7 to 16. The group will cycle 1,200km in seven days from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Warsaw (Poland), passing through Berlin (Germany).
This is the fifth Alive challenge, but the first to include both mountain bikes and road bikes. There will be two parallel routes, one for mountain bikes and another for road bikes, which will be slightly longer but on asphalted surfaces.
Those wishing to donate can do so by texting 50617364 (€2.33), 50618081 (€4.66), 50618913 (€6.99) and 50619208 (€11.65).