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The Chilean community at the institute organises two initiatives to raise funds for the Teletón Foundation of Chile.
The catastrophe that hit Chile last Saturday has spurred the Chilean community at IRB Barcelona into action. The six researchers that work in labs in the centre have organised two initiatives to raise funds and to contribute to helping the 2 million people affected by the earthquake and tsunami. IRB Barcelona and the Barcelona Science Park, which hosts the former, offer them organisational support.
Throughout today and until Friday 19 (20h), collection tables in the entrances of the three buildings that comprise the Park will be set up to receive donations from the more than 1000 people that work here. In addition, a team of six researchers at IRB Barcelona is going to participate in the Barcelona marathon, which will be held on Sunday 7 March. Before the marathon, the athletes will be collecting donations from the more than 450 employees at IRB Barcelona. The amount raised by the two initiatives will be given to the Teletón Foundation. At 22 h on Friday (Chilean local time), this organization will start a televised 24-h fund raising campaign to collect money for the victims of the earthquake. This money will be used to build emergency shelters and to cover provisions and basic necessities. The Teletón Foundation aims to raise 15,000 million pesos (21,000,000 Euros).
Rodrigo Gatica, a PhD student at IRB Barcelona, hopes that other institutions and centres will start up similar initiatives “because Chile needs a lot of help”. Gatica, whose Chilean relatives are fine, explains that for 4 or 5 years 70% of the 2 million people affected are going to continue to need government help until everything returns to normal. “What is most needed is what in Chile we call “medias-aguas”, a kind of pre-fabricated wood cabin measuring 40 m2. Lots of people have been left homeless and because of the climate tents are not a solution”.
The researchers wish to remind you that the Chilean Consulate has opened the following account to collect donations:
Bco. Santander 00 491 555 516 261 019 0325.
Name: Embajada de Chile en España.
More information about the Teletón Foundation can be found at: www.chileayudaachile.cl
IRB Barcelona
L’Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona) treballa per aconseguir una vida lliure de malalties. Desenvolupa una recerca multidisciplinària d’excel·lència per curar el càncer i altres malalties vinculades a l'envelliment. Treballa establint col·laboracions amb la indústria farmacèutica i els principals hospitals per fer arribar els resultats de la recerca a la societat a través de la transferència de tecnologia, i du a terme diferents iniciatives de divulgació científica per mantenir un diàleg obert amb la ciutadania. L’IRB Barcelona és un centre internacional que acull al voltant de 400 investigadors de més de 30 nacionalitats. Reconegut com a Centre d'Excel·lència Severo Ochoa des de 2011, és un centre CERCA i membre del Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
