I read with interest what Mr Gerald Fenech had to say about whether L-Istrina is on the decline or not.

I do not believe in measuring the decline – or absence of it – of L-Istrina on just the amount of money which the organisers manage to collect through, I am sure, months of intense labour. On the same wavelength, I would be the first to scoff at anyone claiming that the volleyball marathon, which used to be scheduled in midsummer, was stopped simply because the money collected was not increasing, year after year. It simply does not make sense to expect that the amount collected in these charity drives of gigantic proportions should increase year after year.

Equally silly is the remark that “car importers boycotted the event”, as written by Mr Fenech. From what I read in the newspapers, there was no such boycott. The car importers simply decided not to donate any cars for this event. Not only that, but they declared their hope that L-Istrina would be a huge success, as always. This does not mean there was a boycott. Or does it mean that these businessmen and women are expected, year in, year out, to donate such cars as if it were a matter of course? I think not, anyway.

I happen to be one of those people who decided, of my own free will, not to donate money to L-Istrina this year, after having read the list of bodies and associations who were going to benefit from the proceeds. Instead, my humble Lm5 note went to a cause that I believe is also worthy and which, contrary to various other humanitarian causes, is not receiving financial attention from any organisation or entity, including the Government. Hence, my donation was directed to an animal sanctuary of my choice – if for nothing else, as a gesture of recognition of the enormous work that the volunteers in these animal sanctuaries are doing.

Just as it is true that L-Istrina organisers work extremely hard for many months to collect such huge sums of money, which are then given to very worthy causes, I am of the opinion that our animal sanctuaries are run all year round by very generous hearts which, however, are never thanked, either publicly or in any other way, and are never put on pedestals for everybody to see and applaud – which constitutes a difference from the Strina situation.

Franco Farrugia

Gwardamangia