The New Year's Republican Charity Campaign "Our Children" will start at the National Centre for Arts and Crafts of Children and Youth on December 9, BelTA reports.
Every year, during the campaign, heads of ministries and other government bodies, local authorities, representatives of public organisations visit children's orphanages and family-type homes, foster and adoptive families, families raising children with disabilities, correctional and developmental education and rehabilitation centres, and hospitals. They congratulate children on New Year and Christmas, present gifts, and provide assistance in resolving existing problems.
This year's campaign will run until January 10. About 100 organisations have already expressed their desire to participate. More than 130 facilities can be visited this year.
The central event of the campaign is the New Year's celebration at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk. It will be attended by 2,370 children from all regions of the country. Among them are pupils of cadet schools and specialised lyceums, winners of olympiads, creative competitions, professional skill contests and sports competitions, students who have achieved success in public work, orphans and children left without parental care, children with disabilities, children from large and low-income families, refugee families, and others.
Charitable New Year's celebrations for children will be held during the winter holidays in regional centres and Minsk, as well as in all cities and districts of the country with the participation of the leadership of regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee, cities and districts.
Last year, over Br1.5 million was transferred for gifts and material assistance. The most active sponsors were the Belarusian Children's Fund, the Belarusian Women's Union, Belarusian Railways, Belarusbank, and Evroopt. More than 230,000 children were involved in the campaign.-0-