Bulgaria Christmas Charity Raises BGN 3,6 M

The charity campaign "The Bulgarian Christmas" has raised BGN 3,6 M, Bulgaria's President, Georgi Parvanov, informed Tuesday during a special ceremony held at the presidential building. Photo by Nadiya Kotseva (Sofia Photo Agency)

The sixth edition of the charity campaign "The Bulgarian Christmas" has raised BGN 3,6 M, Bulgaria's President, Georgi Parvanov, informed Tuesday.

The special ceremony to announce the campaign's results was held at the presidential building in the presence of the campaign's main organizers, sponsors and journalists.

Parvanov explained that businesses have made less contributions during the 2008 edition of "The Bulgarian Christmas", but added he understood that this was to be expected in the conditions of a global financial crisis.

In his speech, Parvanov addressed all those who have been skeptical about the campaign.

"Where is the State? What does the State do? Isn't it much easier for the President to order the Cabinet to slate BGN 15 M and resolve the majority of those problems? First, the Constitution does not allow such orders, but I am not hiding behind my constitutional rights. What matters here is to wake up this somewhat stale feeling of solidarity among Bulgarians. Maybe it has been suffocated by the numerous murky charity campaigns. Why is "The Bulgarian Christmas" successful? It is because it is transparent, honest, and has a cause worth engaging all of us. And it does not, in any way, take anything away from the responsibilities of the State. We often have too many demands for state institutions," Parvanov said.

The funds from the campaign will be used for the medical treatment of 33 sick children and to purchase equipment for 10 clinics all over the country.

The President and First Lady, Zorka Parvanova hosted a reception for the organizers of the campaign, its media partners and the participants in the charitable Christmas concert.

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