The Robert Burns International Foundation held its 15th annual charity Burns Supper on January 28, 2012 at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal in Budapest. Organised on the last Saturday in January each year, the event is attended by Scots living or working in Hungary to celebrate the birthday of the great poet Robert Burns in a traditional Scottish environment.
The atmospheric event provided an excellent opportunity for the Foundation to report on the previous year’s charitable activities. As in previous years, the support of Hungarian children’s hospitals and infant and paediatric departments featured foremost among the Foundation’s goals for 2011. As part of this initiative, the Foundation contributed 7.5 million Forints towards the renovation of the Gastroenterology and Cardiology departments of the University’s 2nd Department of Paediatrics, as well as the creation of mother-baby rooms. Many rural hospital departments also received valuable instruments through the Scottish community’s support.
Professor György Fekete expressed his gratitude for the valuable support on behalf of the 2nd Department of Paediatrics and related that the newborn patient who had been successfully cured thanks to the lifesaving instruments donated on the occasion of the very first Burns Supper is now 15 years old.
The nearly 200 guests who attended the charity gala thoroughly enjoyed the children’s musical performances, which comprised part of the evening’s programme.
The Scottish guests’ generous financial contributions and commitment to supporting worthy causes provides well-founded hope for 2012 as well.
Source: Dr. György Fekete
Zsuzsa Szuchy
Translated by Gina Gönczi
