Public media telethon raises over €10.7m for cancer
Hundreds of activities throughout country held to contribute, as world-class researchers and other dignitaries join annual initiative
The Catalan public media TV3 broadcaster and Catalunya Ràdio station raised over 10.7 million euros in the fight against cancer in one day through their annual telethon, called the 'Maratò.'
This is an all-time best in the initiative's 27th edition, which this year fell on Sunday and lasted for some 14 hours until 2am.
It surpasses the best mark until now, seen in the 2012 edition, which raised 10.1 million euros also donated to cancer research.
The amount can still increase, as donations can be made until March 31, 2019.
The aim of the telethon was to raise both awareness and funds to help biomedical research on cancer.
Its motto was 'La investigació dona vida' (or in English, 'research gives life'), and during the program, some 400 people were in the show, including some 20 individuals who gave personal testimonies and 26 researchers.
For instance, the Catalan world-class researcher Manel Esteller joined the program, as well as the singer Joan Manuel Serrat (a cancer survivor himself), the architect Benedetta Tagliabue (whose husband, the also architect Enric Miralles, died due to the illness), and the basketball player Ricky Rubio (whose mother also died from cancer).
But the TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio telethon, like every year, wasn't only held on TV and in where telephones were being answered by volunteers.
Hundreds of activities throughout the country were put on in the past few weeks by the TV outlet itself, or by dozens of local organizations and individuals across Catalonia. Indeed the 'Marató' is one of the largest solidarity events held in the country every year since its launch in 1992.
The activities included were varied, such as a 10km swim in the sea, communal meals, get-togethers, Christmas-themed markets, and student-run zumba courses. As every year, additionally, a CD was released earlier in December with the participation of 33 artists such as Judit Neddermann, Pablo Alborán, Aitana, Álvaro Soler, Manolo García, Pedro Guerra, Jorge Drexler, and Sisa.
Last year the same telethon raised over 7.2 million euros towards infectious diseases.