The best illustration of the rationale of how the GOCC works is given by the foundation’s president. Jerzy Owsiak says:
Each and every donation is important and exciting because it allows us to buy hospital equipment. The more funds we raise, the more equipment we can buy, and more hospitals we can support. There’s a beautiful, simple logic in it, and we will never change it. During the 23 years of activity, the foundation has bought medical equipment worth almost 650 000 000 PLN.
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is a non-profit, non-governmental charity foundation which aims to support public healthcare in Poland by providing hospitals with high-quality medical equipment. The foundation also aims to promote medical prevention by introducing first aid training in primary schools and establishing other educational programmes. The GOCC foundation also runs 6 nationwide medical programmes. It’s the biggest charity in Poland and has been named as the most trusted charity in the country. The money for the foundation’s activities are raised during a day-long nationwide fundraiser known as the Grand Finale of Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. The Grand Finale is an impressive undertaking with amazing atmosphere – this nationwide event is organized on an unprecedented scale. The thought behind the Great Orchestra is one of the few ideas that helps all Poles come together regardless of the differences that might divide them otherwise. Everyone can support the charity – from volunteering, donating items and bidding at online auctions, or simply throwing some change into collection boxes. A little red heart sticker, which you receive in return, became synonymous with the Grand Finale – it’s one of the most recognizable symbols in the country. Both young and old display the stickers – the Finales are held both locally and everywhere across the world where there is a thriving Polish community. The phenomenon of the success of the Finale lies in the grass-roots nature of the event – people reach out to each other months before, and the volunteers return year after year to pitch in. They draw in friends and family members and build a community. The support of the GOCC seems to be ubiquitous and there’s hardly anyone in Poland who has not used, or seen a device marked with the heart symbol. Be it a tiny heart sticker on a device that tests a new-born’s hearing to a large ones adorning ambulances…
On January the 10th 2016 120 thousand volunteers, 1 600 collection centres, tens of thousands of online bidders, cyber fundraisers and countless contributors showed us their support. Emotions ran high during the Golden Hearts Auction and a beautiful fireworks display – the so-called ‘Light to Heaven’ – was a dazzling culmination of the day.
Today we have finally learned how much we managed to raise – it’s a shared effort and a shared gift for those in need of support. As the Conductor of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity promises – the Orchestra will play till the end of time and one day longer!
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