The traditional Good Friday night walk has generated more than €1m for the Puttinu Cares organisation, which assists people who need medical treatment abroad.

The event will start early Friday, with thousands expected to take part in the walk which starts in Mellieha and finishes in Floriana. For many years, the final destination had been Senglea.

The man who launched the idea of the walk, Joe Vella, told The Malta Independent on Sunday that it all started in 2004 as a personal experience with a few friends taking part, but it quickly mushroomed as more people wanted to join in.

The event quickly became one that needed plenty of organisation. For example, transport started to be organised to take people back to their point of departure.

Vella explained that the walk stemmed from the traditional Maundy Thursday seven churches visits. On the eve of Good Friday, many Catholics visit seven different churches where they pray before the Blessed Sacrament. The tradition probably originated in Rome, as early pilgrims visited the seven basilicas as a form of penance.

Now, the event has reached its 18th year, with the exception of two years during which mass gatherings were banned because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added that he has always loved to volunteer and that is why in 2009 he decided that any money raised from the Good Friday night walk will all go to Puttinu Cares. People started to be asked for a donation. “I believe it is a noble gesture,” he said.

Vella, who is a business owner, said that the late Dr Victor Calvagna and Rennie Zerafa, the founders of Puttinu Cares, were very grateful as this helped the charity raise funds for people who needed them.

Vella said that it is not the first time that he also pays out of pocket for items needed when he does not find a sponsor, such as the fruit which is distributed to participants.

Little did he know, when it all started, that his daughter would have been among those who needed treatment abroad.

His daughter, Anna Marie Farrugia, was diagnosed with brain cancer aged just 33, and passed away four years later.

“It was a big shock,” he said, adding that “the first thing she pointed out was that she was diagnosed at the same age Jesus was crucified.

Puttinu Cares offered to financially help the family in covering the costs for Anna Marie to go to England for treatment; however, her father felt that others could benefit more from such funds.

“She used to help me a lot,” he said in remembering Anna Marie and how she continued to help him in organising the walk up until 2019, the year before her passing.

“I asked God for two things, that she wouldn’t lose her faith and that she wouldn’t suffer in her passing,” he said, adding that he was rewarded in both his requests.

Vella said he still lives her memory through the national walk, together with her own two children and the rest of the family.

“She left a six-year-old and a nine-year-old behind. They are now nine and 12,” he said.

Vella said that last year the walk had two starting points. One from Mellieha, which has always hosted the start of the walk, and which was also the locality where his daughter resided, while the other was from Bugibba, in honour of Victor Calvagna, who died in January 2022 after he was hit by a car in that locality.

“This year it is going to be from Mellieha to Floriana,” he said.

The walk will begin at Mellieha at midnight, with participants walking to Xemxija, St Paul's Bay, Mosta, Lija, Birkirkara, Msida and Pietà up to the Floriana Granaries as the final destination. It is a 17-kilometre walk which should take between four and five hours, depending on one’s pace.

Before the walk starts, at 10.30pm, there will be a Mass at the Mellieha parish church for those who want to attend.

Transport is available from Floriana to Mellieha both before and after the walk. Anyone who requires such transport is asked to phone on 9999 1800 or send a message on the Facebook page Mixja Gimgha l-Kbira 2023.

A €10 donation will be collected from each participant before the start of the walk.

Vella remembered how his daughter used to help him collect these funds and give out certificates at the end of the walk.

“She was my copy – kindhearted and very courageous,” he said.

“She did everything she could to try and hide her sufferings to not make me worry,” he said.

Joe urges anyone to participate as “it is for a very noble cause and with these donations we are surely going to help those in need”.

Puttinu Cares

Puttinu Cares started as a children’s cancer support group that was set up in October 2002. The charity relies on sponsors and generous donations from the public, who also participate regularly in fund-raising activities. Puttinu offers help when families need to go abroad to pursue any kind of further treatment in the UK. Government covers all medical costs for the patients, and Puttinu supports the patients by offering accommodation for the accompanying family free of charge.

This alleviates a huge burden, since when a child gets sick the parents do not have to shoulder the expense of accommodation to be able to stay with their child in hospital and care for them in between stays. Right now, between 60 to 90 patients are having treatment in one of 30 different hospitals in the UK every month. These patients can spend weeks, months and even years away as in patients or coming and going from hospital.

Puttinu Cares later extended its support to include adult patients.

Since 2008, the charity started purchasing apartments and today it owns 20 apartments in Sutton, outside London. The support group has however been receiving requests for help from people suffering from various ailments and not just from cancer. To be able to help all these people with accommodation more than 20 apartments were required. Since December 2014, Puttinu Cares started renting another six apartments near the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton. This means that 26 apartments are available to hundreds of families in their time of need.

In May 2022, Puttinu Cares acquired a building which is freehold and 10 minutes away on foot from the heart of London where many of the key hospitals are located. This project is being estimated to cost around £25 million. This property is seeing complete refurbishment and turned into 27 studio apartments, tailor-made to the needs of the patients. This new building will be named after the late Doctor Victor Calvagna, who has left an impact on the life of so many who were under his care.

Puttinu Cares will be organising a fund-raising marathon which will be aired live on TVM and all local channels on Good Friday, 7 April from 9am to 2pm and 9pm to midnight.

Source: Puttinu Cares website