It’s hard to imagine January without this great event, uniting in the charity tens of thousands of Poles and people of good will from abroad. The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity plays also beyond the borders of Poland, sometimes far away – in 2010 it was Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, France, the Netherlands, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Austria, Egypt, Germany, Norway, USA, as well as two poles – North Pole (Polish Polar Station) and South Pole (Polish Antarctic Station ARCTOWSKI).
More than 1 500 headquarters and 120 000 volunteers for the money street collection are involved in organization of the Great Finale of WOŚP. Sometimes they look a little scary…
20. Great Finale – collection, no way to refuse!
but there are also such like this…
20. Great Finale – more collection, no way to… resist!
In many Polish cities concerts are held, as well as some fairs, festivals and happenings with Polish music stars, which often play for free.
20. Great Finale – concert in Warsaw
At the recent, 20th Great Final, a street race took place in Warsaw, under the slogan “Defeat Diabetes”.
Every finale has its auctions, when “Golden Hearts”, “Gold Card Telephone” and gifts, donated by the Poles and foreigners, are sold. Auctions conducts himself Jurek Owsiak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCqMCtjVwEo – 20. Great Finale – transfer of items for auction, including a coin in the shape of a heart!
Nobody refuses participation and help: policemen, actors and even president RP Bronisław Komorowski.
20. Great Finale: president RP Bronislaw Komorowski with his wife Anna
Also educational programs are shown:
20. Great Finale
At 8 pm a famous happening “A light to Heaven” takes place. In this magical moment people throughout the country send to the sky so called Good Angels – in the form of some lights. They can be lit matches, candles, torches and fireworks.
20. Great Finale – “A light to Heaven” in Warsaw
The most important auctions are held at about 11 pm – then TV studio in Warsaw gets really hot!
20. Great Finale – auction
Preliminary results of the collection are given after midnight. And it is really something to be happy and proud about! Next Great Finale next year…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYQMyMtyyD4 – Great Finale 1-15
ren
Photo: WOŚP (Arek Drygas, Robert Grablewski, Igor Kohutnicki, Agata Makomaska, Błażej Sendzielski, Łukasz Widzimowski); source: www.wosp.org.pl