José Carreras has collected donations of more than 3.5 million euros for his leukemia foundation to mark the 30th anniversary of his TV gala. "I am overwhelmed and very grateful for this sustained support from our donors. I would never have dared to dream of this at our first gala in December 1995," said the 78-year-old opera singer about the result of his gala in Leipzig, which was broadcast on MDR television.
Last year, the amount raised was around 3.3 million euros. According to his own figures, his foundation has raised a total of 248 million euros in donations in 30 years.
Carreras hosted the evening together with Stephanie Müller-Spirra and Sven Lorig. Performers on stage at this year's gala included Tim Bendzko and Hansi Hinterseer, while celebrities such as former ski jumper Sven Hannawald and actress Christine Neubauer collected donations on the phones.
Carreras himself was diagnosed with leukemia in 1987. A few years after his recovery, he set up his foundation, which has been funding scientific research, infrastructure and social projects ever since.
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