December has started, and we are all preparing for the Christmas and New Year festivities. Some may have already started buying Christmas presents for their loved ones, while others may be planning ways how to cope with their work and other commitments in order to find some time to go shopping.
But December is also a time for giving and, for many years now, the Maltese people have become accustomed to giving their donations to people in need, mostly through the popular Strina campaign that is organised in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.
A marathon television show that involves the main stations is usually held in between Christmas and the New Year, and this offers the possibility for people to contribute towards a worthy cause. This year, this event will be held on 26 December.
As from last year, the practice of offering gifts in exchange of donations – which this newspaper always described as a form of gambling – was done away with, and the people still responded with open arms.
As from last year too, the Strina campaign is preceded by what has become known as the President’s Fun Run. The event attracted thousands of participants, political parties refrained from holding activities on the day, and the experiment was so successful that it will be repeated this coming Sunday.
Once again, there will be people who will join President George Abela in a run between San Anton Palace and the Palace in Valletta, while others will join a walk that will start at Santa Venera and proceed to the same destination.
The activity, which follows an auction of paintings and precious objects that was held last month - the amount collected will be revealed on the day of the TV marathon – will also be an occasion to promote the importance of physical exercise in a healthy lifestyle.
But, most of all, it will be a chance for people from all walks of life to express their solidarity with those in need. The MCCF helps many individuals and organizations who need assistance; by taking part in such an activity people will be doing some good for themselves by exercising and a lot for others through their donations.
The Strina campaign will then continue the following Sunday with the holding of the Paqpaqli ghall-iStrina event at Luqa. This activity is aimed mostly for car enthusiasts, but nonetheless it is a family event that should attract thousands of people.
The Fun Run, Paqpaqli ghall-iStrina and the TV marathon are a good opportunity for all of us to be of assistance to others. The €5 or €50 we can afford to give will not make that much of a difference to us, but it will go a long way to enable the MCCF to be there for the people who need it.