Ħamrun Ħanin presents €15,000 to MGDF to support the purchase of guide dog for visually impaired person

Ħamrun Ħanin, the social arm of Ħamrun Spartans, has presented a donation of €15,000 to the Malta Guide Dog Foundation (MGDF).

This will enable the purchase of a guide dog for a visually impaired person, and the selection of both the recipient and the dog is currently underway in collaboration with MGDF and other support organisations.

This donation stems from Ħamrun Ħanin’s major fundraising campaign during the previous football season.

The campaign culminated during the FA Trophy semi-final match between Ħamrun Spartans and Hibernians, where the Spartans donned a specially designed match jersey.

After the match, these jerseys were auctioned to the highest bidders.

Additionally, signed jerseys by all players were sold to sponsors, and further fundraising was carried out through social events and supporter t-shirt sales.

Beyond the fundraising itself, every part of the club, committee members, technical staff, players, volunteers, and supporters played a role in this campaign, turning the campaign into a powerful teambuilding exercise and helping raise awareness of the challenges faced by visually impaired people in our communities.

Ian Debattista, chairman of Ħamrun Ħanin, said: “Through this campaign, we aimed to channel our supporters’ passion into something meaningful. We are delighted that this contribution will directly impact someone’s life, helping them gain greater independence and mobility”.

The companionship and mobility support a guide dog provides can significantly reduce dependence on others by helping avoid obstacles, safely cross streets, and move around familiar and unfamiliar environments with independence and confidence.