OREANDA-NEWS. October 9, 2012. MegaFon subscribers have raised within 1H 2012 over 7.8 million rubles under the Billion in Small Change to aid the children suffering from cancer and other devastating diseases. This allowed to ease suffering of eight seriously ill children.

MegaFon has been cooperating with the Billion in Small Change, a national charity program, for six years now, enabling its customers to render a feasible help using a simple method: by SMS. The subscribers have donated 29 billion rubles since 2006 and used them to buy equipment for two cancer centers and medical care for 75 children.

“As a carrier we provide an easy and user-friendly tool to aid those who need help. Unfortunately, charity culture is poorly developed in this country. This is much due to the lack of simple and transparent methods of donating,” said Elena Aleksandrova, head of corporate communications of MegaFon. “Thanks to the Billion in Small Change, each of our customers has been able to donate to charity any adequate amount for six years and be confident that his/her donation will reach the goal.”

Any MegaFon customer can donate by sending SMS to a short number 5035 or by dialing *503#. The value of each SMS is 30 rubles; such amount is tacitly debited from account upon SMS delivery and sent to the medical treatment of the children who need emergency medical care. The money raised during the campaign will be used to purchase medical equipment, high priced medicines, prosthetic implants, bone marrow transplantation and stem cells transplantation.