Home | First lady | Activities of Silvia Gašparovičová | Year 2013 | Presidential couple welcomed Good News´ carollers
At the beginning of a new year President Ivan Gašparovič and his wife Silvia Gašparovičová traditionally meet with Good News´ carol singers in the Presidential Palace. The same traditional meeting took place also this year, on 3 January 2013. This year is the 18th Good News´ collection.
Good News is a carol singing activity of children in Slovakia associated with financial collection for people in need in poor mission lands. It´s organized by the children organization eRko – Christian Children Communities Movement in collaboration with catholic parishes. From 24 December 2012 to 6 January 2013 (the feast of the Epiphany), Good News´ carolers again visited households across the country with carols and collect money to support projects in developing countries of Africa.
Throughout its history, this activity has become the largest Slovak public collection to help Africa and one of the largest volunteer events in Slovakia. Under this year’s motto "Let us along walk continuesly towards a society that is fairer for all. Even for people with disabilities," were involved more than 26,000 carollers in 1,286 parishes and affiliates. To the Presidential Palace came carollers from Čadca – Kýčerka, Banské, Borský Mikaláš, Višňové and Turie.
The Presidential couple gave to the Good News´ carollers their donation, while expressing the joy of meeting with carol singers. President of Slovakia stated that he enjoys when a similar joy they spread across the whole country. He appreciated that in their free time the carollers are engaged in this noble work.
Last year, the carolers in 2,719 groups visited nearly 80,000 families and individual donors, and they collected 910,750.77 EUR. Thanks to this money could the Good News´ activity support 28 development projects in Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda. This year´s ollection will be used to support projects such as development education or volunteers deployment program to supported projects in Africa. |
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