Hundreds brave the weather in scaled-down Puttinu Cares fundraising walk

Hundreds took part in the annual Good Friday walk in aid of Puttinu Cares. 

Participants, who each donated €10 to Puttinu Cares, gathered in the early hours of Friday morning and walked from the Mellieħa or Mosta parish square to Qawra.

This was the 17th edition of the walk, which in recent years had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. This is the first time during the pandemic that this walk is being held. 

Historically, participants would walk from Mellieħa to Senglea, with thousands flocking to celebrate the charity pilgrimage. This year, the walk ended near the National Aquarium in Qawra, where the late Puttinu Cares founder Victor Calvagna suffered fatal injuries in a car accident.

The route has added significance, as Calvagna used to live in Mosta and his daughter now resides in Mellieħa, marking the starting points of the walk.

Puttinu Cares is a charity which cares for young cancer patients that need treatment in the UK. It was set up by Calvagna and Rennie Zerafa to support families with children suffering from cancer.

Between 60 and 80 patients travel to the UK every month to receive cancer treatment. These patients stay at one of the 20 apartments owned by Puttinu Cares in Sutton.

Apart from the night walk, Puttinu Cares is holding a fundraising marathon to help build new apartments in in Central London, allowing patients and their relatives to live closer to the central hospitals.

The marathon will be broadcast on TV between 10am and 3pm, and 9pm to midnight. Those wishing to donate can click here.