Events and initiatives in 30 Lithuanian cities to support projects for the elderly
A special anniversary for the “Malteser Soup” campaign, organized by the Order of Malta’s Lithuanian Association. It has been running for 10 years and is one of the main fund-raising events for the Order’s social and healthcare projects in Lithuania. This important campaign finances many initiatives for the elderly, ranging from meals-on-wheels to home-assistance programmes.
Like every year, it is the national television (LRT) which launches the campaign with interviews and videos to arouse public awareness on the problems of the elderly, the disadvantaged and those who live alone.
The event involves a series of initiatives in 30 different towns nationwide. Thanks to the invaluable contribution of volunteers, the Association organizes occasions where informative material is distributed, funds raised and dishes of delicious hot soup offered, hence the name “Malteser Soup”.
Just like other years, the campaign features special guests and this year it is the chefs from the best restaurants in Vilnius who are cooking the rich soups. The town mayor has also given his patronage to the initiative, continuing the tradition of the former president of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus.
The tenth “Malteser Soup” edition is now also present on Facebook. Famous personalities appear on this popular social network site wearing t-shirts with “I’ll Get Old As Well” written on them, asking their followers for support. The campaign became viral in the space of a few days.
Another highlight of the campaign was the concert held on 22 November, as always broadcast on national television, with the participation of famous Lithuanian singers. President Dalia Grybauskaite steadfastly supports this initiative and also this year she has sent a video message to greet and thank the organizers.
150,000 euro have been collected since the beginning of the campaign, scheduled to finish at the end of the year. The volunteers of the Order of Malta’s Lithuanian Association look after some 2,300 elderly people and have delivered over 95,000 hot meals during the year.
