Paul Pun Chi Meng (潘志明), the secretary-general of Caritas Macau, told reporters yesterday that the amount raised during the 52nd Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar is less than last year.
Pun made the remarks during the “52nd Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar” charity raffle draw held at the organisation’s head office.
However, Pun did not elaborate on the amount, nor by how much it dropped compared to last year.
Pun told reporters that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions that were put in place when it came to organising the annual charity event, which this time was on a smaller scale than in previous years. He said that the number of people involved in the charity bazaar was not lower than before and that although there was a drop in the amount of money collected, he stressed that “there are more people now that care about Caritas’s event and support it”.
When reporters asked if the decline in the funds raised declined compared to last year, Pun said that the funds have gone down indeed as residents’ incomes have been reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the amount raised as well. However, Pun was quick to add that as the number of people involved in the event has not declined, he estimated that the charity will “raise three million patacas”, adding that the amount is “not a small number when a big charity bazaar cannot be held”.
Unlike in previous years, because of the government’s COVID-19 control and prevention measures, no large-scale bazaar was held this time. A number of mini-bazaars were held in various places recently.
Pun also commented on how many people were assisted in the short-term food assistance service provided by Caritas, which he said recorded “a 10 percent increase in the number of people that needed assistance in 2020, which totalled 3,690 applications, compared to 2019 when 3,326 applications were recorded. He added that in the first 10 months of this year the number of applications did not rise or fall, which totalled 3,679.
Meanwhile, the 52nd Macau Caritas Charity Bazaar’s Charity Raffles Draw was held yesterday at the same venue, according to a statement by the non-profit organisation.
The statement noted that the lucky draw had 179 prizes, 100,000 patacas in total for the top three prizes, apart from hotel dining and food vouchers as well as electronic devices, adding that 170,000 charity lottery tickets were sold this year.
The statement underlined that the event included several guests who drew the lottery tickets such as Pun, Caritas’s service director Yuen Chi Hoi and representatives from the prize sponsors, as well as some senior citizens.
The statement pointed out stated that the winning numbers will be published in Macao Daily News and Jornal “Va Kio”, as well as on the Macau Caritas website and its Facebook page tomorrow. The statement added that prize winners will have to collect their prizes at Caritas’s main office in Largo do Santo Agostinho before December 30 and that enquiries can be made by calling 2893 3255.
Paul Pun Chi Meng (潘志明), secretary-general of Caritas Macau, speaks with reporters during the 52nd Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar” Charity Raffles Draw yesterday.
Guests draw raffle tickets at the head office of Caritas Macau yesterday for the 52nd Caritas Macau Charity Bazaar Charity Raffles Draw. Photos: Rui Pastorin
