Over €2.3 million in telethon cash raised by parties in 2020

Political parties raised around €2.3 million during fund-raising marathons organised so far in 2020, while the country struggled to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and the austerity measure introduced to curb its spread.

The Labour Party has so collected €1,352,813 compared to the €922,570 raised by the Nationalist Party in opposition.

The PL raised the funds during two events – in June and December. A third ‘unofficial’ fund-raiser was organised by ONE TV programme Pjazza in March, where another €46,252 were collected by Pjazza and donated to the party.

The PN organised three marathons: in June, October and December. In its event on 30 June, the PN raised €290,820 in donations. On 11 October, a mere week after Bernard Grech re-placed Adrian Delia as party leader, €307,300 were collected in a televised marathon. And on 6 December, the PN raised a further €324,450 in a third fund raising event, also aired live on Net TV.

The PL organised its first official fund-raising marathon of the year between 15 and 21 June, when it managed to collect €615,123. Confusion soon ensued, when MEP candidate Arnold Cassola, two days later, asked the Electoral Commissioner to investigate reports that the Captain Morgan company – contracted by the government to host asylum seekers out at sea – had donated €108,000, or 17% of all funds collected.

In reply, Captain Morgan said the company had donated €3,000, which is within the legal limit allowed, and that the rest of the money was collected by the Naxxar PL committee. Cassola noted that for the 40 days prior to the fund-raiser, Captain Morgan had been paid €3,000 a day by the government for the provision of vessels to host immigrants saved at sea while the ports were closed as part of the measures introduced to combat the spread of COVID-19.

On 13 December, the PL raised a further €737,690 during a marathon at party HQ in Hamrun. More than €104,000 were collected in Gozo and €94,790 were presented by PL Naxxar President Duminku Chircop. A further €46,252 were raised during ONE talk-show Pjazza, bringing the total collected by the PL to €1,399,065. The programme accepted donations through phone and SMS, but host Karl Stagno Navarra also visited six party clubs – in Paola, Zejtun, Marsaxlokk, Naxxar, Rabat and Victoria, Gozo – where special fund-raising activities were organised.

Prime Minister Robert Abela, with his wife Lydia and daughter Giorgia Mae made an appearance during a PL fundraiser on 13 December

Fund-raising at risk

Malta’s biggest fund-raising event L-Istrina, held each year on Boxing Day, last year raised €6,214,190, leaving President George Vella in tears at the generosity shown by the public. In 2018 the 12-hour telethon organised in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation, had raised a record €7,134,036.

But COVID-19 has cast a gloom on expectations this year, as many events – organised throughout the year in aid of L-Istrina – had to be cancelled due to social distancing measures introduced to combat the virus.

This led Vella to organised a second L-Istrina event on 19 September, ‘Let Us Help You’, when over €1 million in donations was raised.

During the telethon, President George Vella spoke about the increased need for donations. “COVID should not eliminate the need for people to contribute to the fund, because the fund will continue to help,” he said.

Due to the restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, fund-raising events like Rockestra had to be cancelled and this has drastically decreased the income for the MCCFF.

Vella also faced criticism after hosting the traditional August Moon Ball on 1 August, just a day after health minister Chris Fearne introduced a number of restrictions of mass events following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The annual gala charity event is organised by the President at the Verdala Palace to raise funds for the Community Chest Fund Foundation.

Another major fund-raising effort – a volleyball marathon organised each year in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza – was also cancelled in July because of COVID-19. Instead, Id-Dar tal-Providenza launched a marathon which will run into the beginning of 2021, called ‘Sabiħ li Tagħti’, in order to raise funds. The home needs around €5 million in operational money annually. Costs this year took a further €60,000 hit due to measures taken to safeguard and protect the residents and workers from COVID-19.

Dar Bjorn, set up by Bjorn Formosa to care for people with ALS and other neurological conditions, raised €1,436,955 on 27 September. The funds collected were earmarked for a second care home in Zebbug.

On 13 November, Caritas Malta raised €668,200 in a marathon televised on all major local TV stations and called ‘Maratona ta’ Mħabba’.

During the event, social accommodation minister Roderick Galdes announced that an old house in Naxxar would be converted into a number of apartments as a halfway house for rehabilitated persons with no accommodation available.