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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
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
