Update: Traditionally the day after Christmas has become synonymous with the annual charity fund raising event L-Istrina. It is an event held in both Malta and Gozo on Boxing Day, the 26th of December. Over the years this body has helped many individuals, families and entities in Gozo.

The President of Malta, Dr George Abela opened the charity event in Malta, the President urged everyone to donate generously to the cause.

In Gozo, the event gets under way in Independence Square, at around 3pm with a variety of entertainment for the audience which will include music and dance amongst other things. The event is also being shown live on the main local television stations.

The Ministry for Gozo together with the Office of the President of Malta ( Istrina 2010) also organised a cycle and fun walk in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

The event will start at 2pm for Maltese cyclists, leaving the Sanctuary of Our Lady in Mellieha, to eventually finish up at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Ta’ Pinu in Gharb. Gozitan cyclists will meet up at St. Joseph Home, Ghajnsielem (Institute of St. Joseph) at 3.15pm while others may join them by walking or cycling from Savina Square, Victoria at 3:45pm. On arrival at Ta’ Pinu, all participants will receive a very large piece of cake made by students attending the Institute for Tourism Studies in Qala.

At one of the Lufthansa Technik (Malta) hangars in Hal Farrug, Luqa earmarked once again as the venue for L-Istrina 2010, there is a state-of-the art phone-in system that will enable members of the general public to pledge their donations via a telephone call to an indicated number. Donation lines will operate on two separate hunting systems dedicated to donations of varying denominations.

There will be fixed lines, 60 donation lines for €12 donations, 30 to receive €24 donations, a substantial amount of other exchange lines, hot lines, pledge lines, general lines with hunting, SMS donation lines and mobile connections, data connections for high-speed ADSL (WiFi /epos – business connect) as well as DTTV connections at various strategic points earmarked for use by the L-istrina teams.

Donations can be made by telephoning: 5004 9005 for €12, 5004 9010 for €24.

Donations may also be made by sending a SMS to: 5061 8918 for €6.99 or 5061 9222 for €11.65.

Donations can also be made on line on: http://www.mccf.org.mt/mccf/Default.aspx

Update 1: Istrina 2010 got underway in Gozo at 3pm in front of a small crowd braving the cooler weather. The total donated by 3.30pm was just over €500,000.

The aim of the 12 hour annual telethon is to beat the €2.3 million total that was reached last year.

Update 2: Donations to Istrina 2010 pass the €2 million mark by 10.35pm.

Update 3: Istrina 2010 donations reached €2.3 million at the close last night, matching the total of last year.

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