THE Red Cross Limassol branch is tomorrow hosting a fundraising evening themed ‘Limassol, Past and Present’, celebrating the town’s history. The event will take place on November 5 at 4pm at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol.
Speakers will include the Mayor of Limassol Andreas Christou and architect Tasos Andreou, who will give slideshow presentations of the town’s journey through time. The Grammar School choir will also be performing at the event. All proceeds from the fundraising evening will go to the Red Cross Society.
The Limassol Red Cross committee holds a number of impressive records: its members have decades of experience with the Society, were responsible for the inception of a number of Red Cross traditions such as the ‘door to door’ fundraising and the organisation of blood donations, and continue the legacy with their upcoming projects.
“The blood donation tradition was initiated in May 1969 by the Red Cross,” said Stathoulla Sykopetritou, President of Limassol’s Red Cross Society.
“With the blood donation programme, the Limassol Red Cross committee managed to awaken people’s conscience regarding the importance and value of donating blood,” Sykopetritou added.
The Society was the first to implement a programme of blood donation for high-school students, in addition to building a base of regular donors. “We give approximately 3,000 units of blood every year to Limassol Hospital’s Blood Bank,” Sykopetritou said.
The Limassol Red Cross Society has also actively supported the creation of the Oncology Ward at Limassol General Hospital. “We visited the ward and realised that the patients receiving treatment for cancer needed a pleasant environment. We therefore gave €26,000 to provide equipment and facilities on the floor.”
The Red Cross Children’s Hospice providing treatment and support to disabled children also operates in Limassol since 1981. “It was founded in Kyrenia in 1957, but after the invasion disabled children and their families scattered throughout Cyprus. Finally, due to the great efforts of former Red Cross President Stella Souliotou, the Hospice was re-established in Limassol on state land.”
The Hospice’s building was constructed with funding from the UN High Commission for Refugees, and is equipped with two swimming pools, offering hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy and work-therapy.
“It is the only one of its kind in the Middle East and also has a Primary School, where children can get the education offered at public schools,” Sykopetritou said.
At present, 75 children aged from three years old to 18 are housed at the hospice. The Hospice’s operation costs about €410,000 per year, 30 per cent of which is covered by the government. The Limassol branch donates €34,000 per year to the Hospice and the rest are covered by the Cyprus Red Cross.
Continuing the long-standing tradition of charity work, the group of lady-volunteers that comprises Limassol’s Red Cross Society is busy working on a number of impressive projects. “In addition to our fundraising projects, and the regular giving to those in need such as the elderly and poor, we are always prepared in case a crisis strikes. For example, when the war in Lebanon was going on, the Red Cross was active in receiving Lebanese refuges, providing relief, but also sending aid to Lebanon.”
