The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) is the only charity event in the whole world characterised by such impetus, scope and spectacularity. It involves different types of youth entertainment - nationwide and abroad - e.g. music concerts, or vibrant auctions of specially designed hearts, the symbol of the Orchestra. While listening to rock, blues, and folk bands enthusiastic crowds give money to the Orchestra's volunteers and the whole event is broadcast on TV from different cities, also the collected money is counted live on TV so that everyone knows what is the total and how it changes from hour to hour. The enormous success of the campaign, especially among young people, can be attributed - above all - to the charisma of Jurek Owsiak, the founder and leader of the Orchestra.
The Great Finale is accompanied by collections, campaigns and concerts organised on a massive scale in Poland and in many other countries, supported by leading media and many state and private institutions. The effects of Owsiak’s actions are admired also by foreign specialists in charity campaigns.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity will perform for the 20th time.
The 20th Great Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity starts on Sunday, 8th January 2012. Jerzy Owsiak, one and a half thousand of campaign centres, 120 thousand volunteers, and above all millions of Poles take part in this unusual charity campaign. They prove that they have noble hearts, they want to and they can help selflessly.
The WOŚP Foundation is the biggest, non-government charity organisation in Poland that saves life by providing hospitals with specialist, state-of-art medical equipment. The apparatus purchased by the Foundation was given among others to heart surgery, neonatological, oncological, nephrological wards as well as small children’s and intensive care wards.
WOŚP Foundation conducts four medical programs and one educational program: preterm infant retinopathy program – diagnosis and treatment of children which due to preterm delivery experienced retinal damage, common newborn hearing screening tests, non-invasive respiratory support of neonates, treatment of children with personal insulin pumps, education program entitled “Ratujemy i uczymy ratować” (We rescue and we teach how to rescue), teaching first aid to primary school teachers who then share this knowledge with their students.
During the period of 20 years WOŚP purchased 74,003 medical devices for hospitals, Professional and Voluntary Fire Brigade, Police, Mountain and Water Voluntary Rescue Service.
1,465,000 volunteers took part in the Great Orchestra, 398 million of self-adhesive hearts which are then distributed every year among all givers during the Great Finale were printed.
On this single day in the year people take to the streets of all cities in Poland to take part in the annual collection of money. The campaign is accompanied by over 500 concerts and plenty of events and attractions.
A lot will be happening! - as Jerzy Owsiak says, and not only in the entire country but also abroad.
As “the Orchestra will perform till the end of the world and one more day”.
More information @ www.wosp.org.pl
