Volleyball Marathon raises €366,817 in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza

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The BOV Volleyball Marathon ended at midnight Sunday but not before raising the sum of €366,817.

Forty players went through fifty-three hours of volleyball that was officially whistled in at six in the evening on Friday by the Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights, Julia Portelli and continued non-stop since then.

Fr Martin thanked the people of Malta and Gozo, that once again responded with so much generosity to the call for fundraising for the Home through the Volleyball Marathon. He also thanked the players, the volunteers, members of the organising committee, all the sponsors, the main TV stations that relayed the marathon, singers and bands, the members of the police force and all those that in one way or another helped towards the success of this Marathon.

During the same activity, a group of Slovenian athletes, some of them with disability, participated in the game of sitting volleyball which took place for the first time at the Siġġiewi Home. This activity was made possible thanks to ParaVolleyMalta and the Birkirkara Volley Club. It was emphasised that such activities should promote the fact that sport is really for everyone, whatever the level of ability.

Besides the forty players that were the main protagonists of the Marathon, there were around two hundred volunteers. Every evening there musical entertainment on the main stage, food and drinks and children’s games. The marathon was relayed live on the main local TV stations.

Other sponsors besides BOV, the main sponsor, were Pif Paf, Coca Cola, PwC, Go Plc. and Eurosport.

Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna amongst the residents of id-Dar tal-Providenza

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Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna this morning concelebrated mass at the chapel of id‑Dar tal‑Providenza on the occasion of the 13th edition of the fundraiser Volleyball Marathon which is now nearing the end of its 53‑hour stretch. Assisting the Arcbishop were Fr Martin Micallef, Director of the Home, and Mgr. Charles Cordina, Episcopal Vicar for Diaconia.

In his homily, Archbishop Scicluna referred to sections of today’s readings and said he wanted to provide peace of mind to the parents of all the residents of the homes of id‑Dar tal‑Providenza: “we will take good care of them as a society, as a Church, as administrators and as all Maltese as has been happening and will continue to happen. May it be that we will always cherish the value of welcoming everyone.”

The Volleyball Marathon will end tonight at midnight.

The BOV Volleyball Marathon in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza gets under way

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After all the preparations and training, at the opening whistle by the Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights, Julia Portelli and with the Malta Armed Forces Band in attendance it was time for the 13th edition of the BOV Volleyball Marathon to get going in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza. Forty players, selected from a total of eight-three applicants, formed five teams and took on the challenge of fifty-three hours of non-stop volleyball not for their personal gain, as Fr Martin Micallef, Director of id-Dar tal-Providenza said but  to give something to someone else.

In his address of welcome, Fr Martin continues to day that the altruistic spirit of the players and the numerous volunteers inspires us to be more and more a caring society, a society that lets no one fall behind, a society that treats everyone equally. He also welcomed the group of Slovenian athletes that during these three days will be participating in the discipline of sitting volleyball which is taking place for the first time at the Siġġiewi Home. This activity was made possible thanks to ParaVolleyMalta and the Birkirkara Volley Club. Fr Martin emphasised on the belief that activities like this should continue to pass on the message that society always needs to respect persons with disability, treat them with the dignity they deserve and offer them choices and opportunities that everyone has a right to have.

Minister Julia Farrugia said that sport had one language and creates a huge sense of volunteering and is a huge testimonial for inclusion. Activities like this continue to strengthen the fact that sport is for everyone whatever the level of ability. She concluded by appealing to the Maltese and Gozitan public to unite as one during these three days and make the donation so much needed for id-Dar tal-Providenza to continue on its mission.

During the three marathon evenings, between 9:00pm and midnight, there will be a number of local singers who will be performing on the main stage set up in the Home’s car park. On Friday night the guests were the band Zone 5 together with singers Jasmine and J. Anvil. Saturday night it is the turn of the Malta Police Force Band under the baton of Mro. Anthony Cassar with the participation of local singers whilst on Sunday night the Spiteri Lucas band will take the stage accompanied by singers Ludwig Galea, J. Anvil, Ivan Spiteri Lucas and Laura Bruno.

The public may make a donation by calling the following listed phone numbers, by using the BOV Mobile Banking, PayPal or Revolut or by using the Home’s online banking accounts. For more information on the activity you may visit the  website: www.sabihlitaghti.org.

€10         5160 2011

€15         5170 2012

€25         5180 2013

€50         5190 2070

€100       5130 2044

Pledge Line: 2146 3686

BOV Mobile  7932 4834

Other sponsors besides BOV the main sponsor are Pif Paf, Coca Cola, Pwc, Go Plc. and Eurosport.

The main local TV stations, will be carrying the marathon live at different times.

Sitting Volleyball @ Id-Dar tal-Providenza 2023

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ParaVolley Malta, together with Birkirkara Volleyball Club and Id-Dar tal-Providenza, will be organising a sitting volleyball side event at this year’s BOV Volleyball Marathon which is held annually at Id-Dar Tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi.

During a Press Launch held today at Id-Dar tal-Providenza itself, Nello Calleja, General Secretary of ParaVolley Malta, gave some more information about this activity. He said that for this year’s event, Slovenian athletes who are either members of the National Slovenian Sitting Volleyball teams or else play sitting volleyball in the different clubs in Slovenia have been invited over to Malta.  These athletes include male and female persons with and without disabilities, and the main objective of their visit to Malta is to play demonstration matches between themselves, as well as matches against local Maltese teams.

In fact, volleyball players as well as the general public have been invited to take part in these matches which will take place in the evening during the same weekend and at the same venue where the Volleyball Marathon will be held, that is from Friday 30th June until Sunday 2nd July at Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siggiewi.  The sitting volleyball activity will be held from 8pm until midnight on each of these days, whilst the Volleyball Marathon will start on Friday 30th June at 6pm and will continue till midnight on Sunday 2nd July, for a total of 53 hours continuous volleyball.

The sitting volleyball activity is open to male, female, or mixed local teams, and teams can be made up of athletes with or without disability.  We firmly believe that a discipline like sitting volleyball gives the opportunity to everyone to play the same sport in the most inclusive way, since the moment the athletes sit down on the floor to play, they all become equal.  We hope that such activities continue to promote the fact that sport is really for everyone, whatever the level of ability.

The Minister for Inclusion, Voluntary Organisations and Consumer Rights (MIVC) Julia Portelli said she was overwhelmed with the enthusiasm shown by the participating athletes both Maltese and Slovenian and expressed her hope that this weekend’s Volleyball Marathon will achieve the best results on and off the court. She also promised her support for an international Sitting Volleyball Tournament organised in Malta which was the wish expressed by Nello Calleja.

Also present for this launch there were Mr Charles Azzopardi, Head CSR Dept tal-Bank of Valletta, Mr. Stefan Decelis, President of Birkirkara Volleyball Club as well as one of the organisers of the Volleyball Marathon, Ms. Nadine Camilleri-Cassano and Mr. Tony Sammut representing id-Dar tal-Providenza, together with the Slovenian athletes, and the captains of the teams taking part in this year’s Volleyball Marathon.

For more information, you may contact Mr Nello Calleja, on paravolleymalta@gmail.com.

Dr Louis Anthony Camilleri, son of Sur Luigi Camilleri, celebrates his 100th birthday with a donation to id-Dar tal-Providenza.

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Dr Louis Anthony Camilleri, son of Sir Luigi Camilleri, celebrated his 100th birthday on the 15th of this month (June 2023) . It was his wish that on this occasion relatives and friends of the family make a donation to id-Dar tal-Providenza and on Wednesday 21st June he presented the donations made during a mass held at the Home’s chapel in Siġġiewi.

Dr Camilleri, who served for many years as a family doctor in Qormi, has a good recollection of Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, the founder of id-Dar tal-Providenza, when they were both members of the Malta Catholic Action.

2023 BOV Volleyball Marathon kicks off on the 30th June

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The BOV Volley Marathon in aid of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza is back with 53 hours of continuous play in the car park of the Home in Siġġiewi. The 13th edition of the Marathon will kick off on Friday 30th June at 6.00pm and continue non‑stop until midnight on Sunday 2nd July 2023. It will be officially opened by the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Chris Fearne with the band of the Armed Forces of Malta in attendance.

The Marathon was officially launched by Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Id‑Dar tal‑Providenza and Charles Azzopardi, Head CSR Dept at Bank of Valletta during a press conference held at the Pembroke Secondary School within St. Clare’s College where the training and preparation of the players taking part in the marathon are underway.

“The BOV Volleyball Marathon is one of our main annual fundraising event that helps us in our mission to provide and improve upon the various useful services offered.” said Fr Martin.  “It also encourages volunteering and sends out a message that Maltese society needs to invest in it.  Through this marathon, the Home also wants to enourage sports and invest in a healthier lifestyle. Last but not least, id‑Dar tal‑Providenza appeals to society to respect persons with disability at all times and treat them with the dignity they deserve whilst offering them choices and opportunities that everyone has a right to enjoy.”

“The BOV Volleyball Marathon combines two of the main pillars driving our CSR Programme, Philanthropy and Sports,” said Mr Azzopardi. “We at Bank of Valletta prides ourselves as making part of an organization that is an instrumental player in Malta’s sustainable development. We commend the services provided by id‑Dar tal‑Providenza within the Maltese Community and we are delighted to assist them in continuing to provide these essential services in line with our commitment towards the community in which we operate.”

Every night till Sunday night there will be entertainment provided on the main stage, food stalls and games for kids. The Marathon will be broadcast live on the main local TV stations. Besides the 40 protagonist players of the Marathon there are around 200 volunteers helping out during the event.

The public may make a donation by calling the following listed phone numbers, by using the BOV Mobile Banking, PayPal or Revolut or by using the Home’s online banking accounts. It is pertinent to point out that the local banking system does not allow for cashing of cheques that are not upwards of €20. For more information kindly visit the website: www.sabihlitaghti.org.

€10         5160 2011

€15         5170 2012

€25         5180 2013

€50         5190 2070

€100       5130 2044

Pledge Line: 2146 3686

BOV Mobile  7932 4834

 

83 persons apply to take on the Volleyball Marathon challenge in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza

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83 persons in total have applied  to take on the Volleyball Marathon challenge in aid of id-Dar tal-Providenza that this year will take place between Friday, 30th June and Sunday, 2nd July 2023.

Presently, they are all undergoing intensive training at the grounds of St Clare College Pembroke Seconday School. This will culminate on the weekend of June 17 and 18 with a 24-hour marathon session of volleyball. It will lead to the final choice, according to established criteria, of 40 players who will then be participating in the 12th edition of the Volleyball Marathon.

As in past years, the Marathon will be held at the Dar tal-Providenza car park in Siġġiewi.

Photo: Raycine Farrugia

Members of Dutch Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem visit Id-Dar tal-Providenza

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Members of Dutch Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem paid a visit to Id-Dar tal-Providenza while on holiday in Malta and presented a donation for the Home.  Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza explained the mission of the Home while thanking them for finding time to visit a charitable organization while visiting the island.

Dun Mikiel Azzopardi remembered on the 36th anniversary of his death

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“Dun Mikiel responded with his heart full of love to bring into the open the persons with disability and provide them with a home: Id-Dar tal-Providenza.”  Fr Frans Abdilla, Ecclesiastical Assistant of the Malta Catholic Action (MCA), said this during his homily whilst concelebrating mass to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the death of Dun Mikiel, the founder of the Home. Fr Abdilla said a response shouldn’t be given with an argument but with the heart. This is what Dun Mikiel did when he responded to the Lord’s call to see that persons with disability find their place in society in order to participate fully with total respect of their rights and dignity.

For the mass, that was held at the Home’s chapel in Siġġiewi, Fr Abdilla was assisted by Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Dar tal-Providenza and Fr Bernard Micallef, Spiritual Director of the Social Assistance Secretariat of the Catholic Action. Also present were representatives of the MCA including Marija Cachia, its General President, and Mary Anne Muscat, General Vice-President, as well as the Home’s residents and employees.

Those present then gathered around Dun Mikiel’s grave for a moment of reflection and prayer and a blessing by Fr Abdilla.

Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, who founded the Home in 1965, was born in Valletta on the 10th of February and died on May 13th 1987, exactly 36 years ago today.

Benefactors of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at December 13th Road in Marsa make donation to Dar tal-Providenza

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Mr Joseph Vella, the curator of the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto at December 13th Road in Marsa helped by his son Mario and other volunteers, presented a donation of €1,255 to Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Dar tal-Providenza. The presentation took place at the end of a eucharistic celebration at the Holy Trinity parish church in Marsa.

This sum was raised through offerings made at the grotto during the year by devotees of Our Lady of Lourdes.

This is an annual event that was started in 1981 when Mgr Mikiel Azzopardi, founder of the Siġġiewi Home, celebrated the first Mass at the grotto in a year that was dedicated to persons with disability.