The 7th year of 'Three Kings' Money Collection' in the Czech Republic will take place on 2-12 January 2007. Profits of this national money collection go for the needs of the Charity and it is held in the entire country.Full text of the news in Czech: HERE.
Prague: The collection will proceed in the usual way: at the beginning, bishops and priests bless the carollers of their dioceses or parishes. The collecting group is formed of three carollers, usually king-like dressed children. Each group must be lead by an adult who has a Charity-signed and stamped identification card.
Group goes house by house in the particular village or city neighbourhood, announcing the Christmas Good News, usually with the singing of carols. At the same time, carollers ask for come contribution for the Charity needs – for this purpose they must be provided with an official, local-autonomy-sealed cylindrical money box marked by a logo of the Charity. The carollers will insert an information paper in post-boxes – to get people acquainted with the last year profits' utilisation, and also to express their gratefulness.
The benefits of the 'Three Kings' Money Collection' is aimed for the sick, disabled, seniors, mothers with children in need, and other socially deprived groups of people. The greatest amount of the national collection's benefit is used in the region where it was gathered, every year at least 10th part of the profits goes for a humanitarian help abroad.
Last year, more than 12,000 groups of carollers set into streets, the profits of 2006 collection made 54,676,000 CZK (2 millions €). This time, some 30,000 carollers are also expected to take part.
This year's innovation makes it possible to give the contribution through cash dispensers of Česká spořitelna. Another way of giving one's money for the Charity is the mobile phones' 'DMS', i.e. 'donator's SMS'. People shall write 'DMS KOLEDA' and send it to the number 87777. Out of the DMS' costs 30 CZK, 27 CZK (1 €) goes directly for the Charity. It is also possible to contribute to the bank account of the Charity: the bank number is 33001122/0800. The amount sent is tax-deductible.
The results of the collection will be made public on www.trikralovasbirka.cz, where you can find the last year as well as recent money collection's benefit.