Lluís Bernabé (La Marató Foundation): "We highlight the strength of citizens through foundations"

More than 257 million euros and a thousand scientific projects funded, with more than 11,000 researchers involved. These figures reflect the work of La Marató throughout its 34-year trajectory to raise funds for disease research, in which the protagonists are, above all, anonymous citizens who decide to donate, participate in awareness or training activities, or even organize them, somehow converted into micro-patrons for scientific advancement.

To review the impact that La Marató has on supporting scientific research in Catalonia, its executive director, Lluís Bernabé, highlights the role of citizens and the Catalan associative fabric. La Marató, which this year focuses again on the fight against cancer, works to maximize its reach precisely hand in hand with the citizenry.

— How has La Marató changed since it was born 34 years ago?

— La Marató has consolidated itself as a benchmark, and it has done so basically because of the citizens. It cannot be otherwise. Citizens have become so involved that they have seen that they can participate all year round, and not just on the day of La Marató.

— What does this participation translate into?

— Without going any further, last year more than 3,100 activities were organized throughout the year, and about three million people participated in them. In fact, activities were organized in 75% of Catalan municipalities.

— And that contributes to raising awareness among the population.

— Absolutely. And not only with the activities organized around La Marató, but also with informative sessions carried out by health professionals using colloquial and accessible language. They go to secondary schools, libraries, associations and companies, even to shared schooling units. We try to be on all fronts.

— It is clear that the young profile is in the target. Are they less involved?

— On the contrary, more and more young people want to organize an activity, perhaps because they have seen their parents or grandparents do it. There has also been a generational leap in telephone headquarters: now there are more young people than older people. This means that three generations meet.

— Does the same happen with volunteers?

— Exactly. The same happens with volunteers and donors. We already exceed the number of donations that come from young people and that are sent via Bizum than from people who use the traditional telephone route.

— What is the reason for this generational leap?

— It's not because we are constantly knocking on the door for people to participate, but because our foundation's model is committed to dissemination and awareness, to trying to reach people. Like this year, when we will talk about cancer, and we will not only do it on La Marató day, but we do it constantly, emphasizing above all the importance of prevention.

— You persevere with the message throughout the year.

— We not only transmit the message, but we participate in the message and encourage people to participate in it. Through activities, training sessions, visits to research centers… And with constant contact that goes further and is governed by transparency. Did you donate ten euros? You can see exactly what they were used for. For us, this contact is fundamental.

— Does this involvement fluctuate depending on the disease that La Marató addresses?

— Those who participate do so because it is their Marató. To choose the disease for each edition, every two years we launch a public call in which citizens can make their proposals, through associations, foundations, hospitals or research centers. Some years there are thirty; others, a hundred. A scientific advisory commission with the directors of the main research centers evaluates the proposals and takes them to the board of trustees, and from there they are chosen.

— The proposals then originate in the Catalan associative and scientific fabric.

— It is a very broad fabric. We have a large number of foundations and associations in Catalonia, and the number multiplies if we take into account the entities of the social third sector. Although we are still far from other models, such as the Anglo-Saxon.

"La Marató would not be possible without the support of the people"

— The entities that work in the field of patronage are admirable, both from the cultural sphere and that of research and the third sector. From a single euro, they achieve incredible things. We must highlight the effort made by these foundations and associations, because they achieve wonderful things, associating with other entities and companies to ensure that what they do reaches the public. As La Marató does.

— Is citizen involvement the key to everything?

— I want to speak up for the professionals who work for the citizen and, at the same time, with the citizen. In the world of culture, the third sector, research or any field, the support of the citizenry is always there. Sometimes with visible and recognized faces, but above all with anonymous people. We highlight the strength of the citizenry through foundations and associations.

— Also from La Marató?

— La Marató would not be possible without the support of the people. Without the people who organize popular activities, we would never reach so many people. We can never thank enough the involvement of the three million people who row throughout the year participating in activities.

— The same happens with many other entities, which advance through the strength of anonymous and volunteer people. What motivates citizens to get involved?

— Citizens have been helping for many years; we have a history of more than 700 years of associations and foundations working in this regard. And we are lucky to live in such a society.

— Will it continue to be so?

— We return to the generational leap, which is already happening. Every year we have many young people who want to participate as volunteers, and it breaks with the idea that young people are not involved. Thanks to young people and this generational leap, they are already participating, in our foundation and in many other entities. We must continue working to reach as many people as possible and maximize the impact.