Every year, the Grand Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation (GOCC) selects a detailed aim, or “theme” of its fundraiser. For instance last year, during the 23rd Grand Finale, GOCC collected money to help maintain good standards in specialist pediatric wards.
Having reviewed all the requests sent to GOCC Foundation by the hospitals and having consulted the matter with the medical community, the Foundation Board decided that the upcoming 24th Grand Finale will once again be devoted to pediatrics and geriatrics. This time GOCC want to focus on the needs of basic care units, which will make it possible to purchase even more equipment.
Last year showed that pediatrics is a neglected branch of medicine. The process of purchasing equipment with the money from the 23rd Grand Finale helped GOCC Foundation realized what it had not really been aware of: that the needs are enormous. This led to the decision to keep supporting pediatrics until all pediatric units are comprehensively equipped. The hospitals tend to focus on buying complicated medical devices first and later they often lack the funds needed for simple things such as beds or bedside cabinets. The patient’s comfort is a crucial factor in the recovery process.
While trying to help kids, GOCC Foundation do not forget about the elderly. “The situation in geriatrics has improved quite a bit since the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity started to raise public opinion’s awareness of the problems that older patients have to face. People now think about seniors in a more serious way”, says Jurek Owsiak, the President of the Foundation Board.
The Grand Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation first started to support geriatrics in 2013. The initial aim was to replace basic equipment in the few geriatric wards that existed in Poland back then. Its second initiative was to support the newly-established and developing wards and underfunded healthcare institutions. In total, in the three years following the first Grand Finale devoted to seniors, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation has spent over 10 million euro and supported over 150 units.
It is the 24th time the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity will be holding the Grand Finale fundraiser. One of the biggest charity event in Poland, the Grand Finale enjoys the most public trust. Every year, it is supported by 120 000 volunteers who register and run around 1500 Finale Centers all over Poland.
The volunteers are also active abroad – in all those places where there is a Polish community. (Check here: the List of the Collecting Centers of 24th GOCC Grand Finale abroad )
More information on: the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation | FB
