The funds raised at the charity dinner will be used for mine removal operations in the general area of the village of Pristeg, inland from the central Adriatic city of Zadar.
With about 240,000 unexploded mines, 1,896 mine victims and 1,174 square kilometres of land strewn with mines, Croatia is among the European countries with the largest number of explosive devices left over from its 1991-1995 war of independence. According to last year's figures, it is one of the ten most mine-infested countries in the world.
"Night of a Thousand Dinners" is a global campaign that was launched on the joint initiative of the Canadian Land Mine Foundation and the American United Nations Association as part of the Adopt-a-Minefield programme.
The chief organiser of the charity dinner in Zagreb is the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, which has opened a special account with Societe Generale - Splitska Banka d.d. into which private citizens and companies can pay their contributions. The account number is 2330003-1100367301.
This year's event is sponsored by the City of Zagreb, which will donate 100,000 kuna (EUR 13,600) for the project.