interview: Sara del Sal
The charity concert by Astro (Trieste Hospital Association for Children’s Smiles) was presented in the Giunta Hall on Wednesday morning, scheduled for Sunday, March 24, aimed at helping the Burlo Garofolo Maternal and Child Hospital in Trieste.
Present were the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Economic Policies, Serena Tonel; the president of Astro odv, Roberto Cook; a representation of Astro odv volunteers and artists from the musical group “Diavolo in noi-Zucchero tribute band”.
Deputy Mayor and Councillor Serena Tonel stated: “For the Municipal Administration, it is an honor to make the Luttazzi Hall available to help Astro odv in the realization of the charity concert we are presenting today, which represents a new initiative within a wide range of consolidated activities carried out by the association for the benefit of the community. Providing additional playful and human elements to the medical process is important even for adults. And it is even more so for children: Astro odv’s commitment is directed towards the youngest, animating the corridors with its clowns and volunteers. I take this opportunity to thank the association not only in general but also for what it has done during the pandemic, with great efforts and difficulties, given that there are delicate wards within the Burlo Garofolo Maternal and Child Hospital.”
On Sunday, March 24, at 6:30 pm in the Luttazzi Hall of Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio-Porto Vivo, the charity concert proposed by the Astro association will be held, performed by the “Diavolo in noi-Zucchero tribute band” and included in the event “A light always on”, promoted and organized by the Municipality of Trieste.
Admission is by voluntary donation, and seats can be reserved on the website www.astrotrieste.it. The funds raised will be used to purchase a ludobarella (cost: 6,000 euros) and/or a ludocarriage (cost: 4,000 euros) to be allocated to the surgical clinic of the Burlo Garofolo Hospital. The ludobarella, shaped like a small car, is used for transfers from the hospital rooms to the operating room: it is designed to make that short journey less traumatic, turning it into a playful passage for children. The ludocarriage serves similar functions. After the event, Astro will publicly announce the outcome of the fundraising for transparency.
Astro is a voluntary organization whose purpose is the study, promotion, and implementation of initiatives aimed at protecting hospitalized children, whether disabled (physically, mentally, or sensorially) or non-disabled. Established in Trieste in January 1999, it consists of approximately 100 active volunteers who take turns serving every day from 9:30 am to 12 pm and from 3:30 pm to 6 pm, mainly at Burlo: in the last three years, a total of 7,800 hours of assistance has been provided in various hospital departments. Additionally, some families facing severe economic hardship have been offered direct purchase of necessary materials and assistance with transportation expenses from the Trieste hospital to their cities of residence.
The organization includes a clown group, storytellers, a puppet theater, and a “pet therapy” service provided by a retired local Health Authority veterinarian. Annually, a training course for new volunteers is held, developed over five days between October and November, covering listening skills, empathy, the need for assistance, operational difficulties, and hygiene and health aspects of volunteering. After passing an eligibility interview, from January 1 of the following year, new volunteers begin a 2-month internship. At the end of this period, they can become seniors and join the organization, which is non-partisan, non-denominational, non-profit, and humanitarian in nature.
