The Three King's moneyboxes unsealed – 80 million collected. Thank you!
February 22, 2021 News

The Three King's moneyboxes unsealed – 80 million collected. Thank you!

The donations from the Three King's moneyboxes have been counted and its total amount reached 52,3 million. The online carolling on the website of the collection brought another almost 24 million and over 4 million came through generous donor DMS. In total, this year’s Three Kings Collection brought almost 80,3 million for those in need. The carolling is not over yet. You can support the collection online or by DMS until the end of April.

Even though the last year’s collection was by 50 million higher, such a good outcome was not expected this year. The epidemiological situation changed the form of the traditional collection – the carollers could not go into the streets. Most of the activities were held online and on social networks, where the carollers were especially active this year. The carollers were excited and ready for the carolling the entire month of December.

The total amount collected to date on Monday 22 February is CZK 80,312,180. Most of the donations were collected into the moneyboxes, but in accordance with the anti-epidemic regulations they had to remain static. So this time the moneyboxes did not come to the donors, but the donors had to come to the moneyboxes. They were located at offices, shops, churches, or at Caritas offices.

“I am very grateful and would like to thank everyone, who took part in the collection and who donated money, especially in such difficult conditions. The desire to donate to the collection was astonishing and it proves the fact that it has become a part of our lives. Thanks to the surprisingly high financial donations, we will be able to help better those people that are in need or on the edge, often in a situation, in which they cannot help themselves. People that were affected by the coronavirus pandemic will also receive help,” said Lukáš Curylo, director of Caritas Czech Republic, which has been organizing the collection for 21 years.

Three King's Collection 2021

Moneyboxes on wheels and mountain tops

In many municipalities the local media helped with spreading the information, and to municipalities, which do not have any shops or local authorities, the volunteers drove the “mobile static moneyboxes” in cars. The moneybox was then in place attached to the car window, in order to follow all the regulations and reduce the contact between people. In the municipality Sobotovice in the Brno region, the moneybox was carried by the volunteer firefighter’s car.

The Three King’s moneyboxes were waiting on the mountain tops as well, specifically (same as last year) in the stands on top of Lysá hora and this year, for the first time, on Praděd or in the window of a hotel on Křemešník in the Pelhřimov region.

The unique “Three King” figures were auctioned at the end of January on the Aukro portal for CZK 22,200. This money was also added to the Three King’s Collection. The brewery Koníček from the municipality Vojkovice near Frýdek-Místek has prepared the Three King’s Special in honour of the collection. By purchasing this 13-degree semi-dark beer the people supported the Caritas with CZK 30 (total amount of this event was CZK 23,190). In the city of Tábor in the South-Bohemian region they used print media. They produced 18 700 pieces of Three King’s postcards, which were distributed to people by the Czech Post at the end of December.

Where the money is saved

In connection with the mentioned difficult situation, the outcome is very good and much better than expected by the organizers, however, noticeably lower than in the previous years. According to Šárka Hájková from Litoměřice, coordinator of the collection, this experience proved that the little singing carollers in the streets are irreplaceable. But the outcome of the collection is accepted with joy and thankfulness. Although some of the planned projects of help for people in need will have to be limited or changed due to the lower proceeds. “Missing parking places in front of the Hospice of St Luke will not be built this year, however the money will be used in the reconstruction of a low-threshold day centre for homeless women and men,” says Martin Pražák, director of Caritas Ostrava.

“This year’s lower proceeds will limit the purchase of facilities for the disabled, activities for the clients and purchase of groceries, school and hygienic supplies for the needy, but we will try to obtain the money elsewhere,” says Růžena Kavková, director of Diocesan Caritas Litoměřice.

The collection into the moneyboxes ended on 24 January, but it is possible to donate to the collection until the end of April online on the website of Three Kings Collection or yearly by bank transfer. On the same website you can read, where exactly is the money in individual Caritas across the country used.

History of the Three Kings Collection

The first collection took place in 2000 in the Archdiocese of Olomouc. The carolling has been done across the Czech Republic since 2001, and this year (2021) the collection took place for the 21th time. The Three King’s Collection yield rises every year. This year’s proceeds were affected by the anti-epidemic regulations, therefore the traditional carolling in the streets was not possible.

We want to thank you all for thinking of others in such challenging times! 

Three King's Collection 2021
You can donate to the online moneybox until 30 April
Three King's Collection 2021

By bank transfer onto the collection’s account

66008822/0800 

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