97-year-old wins the Nazzareno Vassallo Award 2018

During a ceremony held earlier this week at San Anton Palace, 97 year old, Joseph Borg Bonello, a resident at Zammit Clapp home for the elderly, was awarded the Nazzareno Vassallo Award organised by CareMalta which this year is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Joseph was chosen for this award for his contribution in various sectors of society to this very day.

He is still active as the President of theAnglo Maltese League, the Malta Billiards and Snookers Association and the residents’ committ of Zammit Clapp home.

The selection board was chaired by Dr Lawrence Gonzi and included journalist Ariadne Massa, university lecturer Holger Saliba and gerontology expert Rosette Farrugia Bonello.

Joseph’s contribution as chiaran of the Friends of Mount Carmel Hospital commitee was also recognized by the selection board. Dr Lawrence Gonzi in his report noted that today mental health has become a very important subject since many are realising that the brain can become ill as much as the rest of the body so there is no room for any prejudices in this sector but a need for more effort to provide care and compossion to whoever suffers from mental health issues.

During the same event former minister Dr Joseph Micallef Stafrace was given a special award for his long contribution in the political and legal sectors. The board also noted his contribution as an author having published his latest book “Mill-ħażna ta’ tifkiritet” as recently as December. This is a collection of articles he had published in “Leħen is Sewwa”.

During this occasion messages by President Coleiro Preca, Vassallo Group Chairman, Nazzareno Vassallo and CareMalta CEO Natalie Briffa Farrugia were also delivered.

This was the 20th anniversary since this award in 1998 started being given merely five years after CareMalta was set up in 1993.