€53,700 was collected through Bank of Valletta’s (BOV) Piggy Bank Campaign in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund (MCCF) during L-Istrina 2023 after a number of small donations by children in primary and secondary schools across Malta and Gozo.

The sum was presented during the live broadcast of L-Istrina on Tuesday (yesterday).

BOV CEO Kenneth Farrugia and COO Ernest Agius also presented a donation of €200,000 to L-Istrina from the bank.

“On behalf of BOV and also the MCCF, we would like to thank each and every student who donated towards this cause, their parents, as well as all the volunteers from the MCCF and BOV, as well as all the staff members in participating schools who helped make this campaign a success,” Mr Farrugia said.

“We hope that each and every donation helped create a sense of solidarity and altruism in the younger generation, whose donations will definitely help make a difference in the lives of those in need,” he added.

He also remarked that BOV has taken some steps in minimising its impact on the environment by opting for cardboard piggy banks made out of recycled material, while also utilising less ink that is also environmentally friendly.

This was the 20th consecutive year that the piggy bank campaign was held, and over the years, BOV has presented over €3 million to L-Istrina, including both funds collected by schoolchildren and donations by the bank.

This year, the charity telethon raised close to €5.3 million, an increase from last year’s €5.1 million. The funds are primarily used to help finance overseas medical treatment for patients.