The money raised at the Grand Finale collection - which in essence, is a grassroots, community-based event which have been taking place in Poland for 30 years. The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity's objective is to purchase medical equipment for children's hospitals across the country and ensure that all children born in Poland have equal access to state-of-the-art medical treatment and diagnostics. The charity, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, has raised over 1.7 billion PLN and donated almost 69 000 medical devices to Polish public hospitals and clinics. The charity also runs and finances eight medical initiatives which systematically transform Polish medical care when it comes to neonatal health and children's medicine.
Each Grand Finale fundraiser has a clearly stated medical objective - a branch of medicine carefully selected after consultations with doctors and medical professionals. This year the charity raised money in aid of children's eye medicine.
For the eighteenth time, Jurek Owsiak, this time from the final stage on the PGE Narodowy meadows in Warsaw, opened the joyful run under the same slogan "Get Even with Diabetes". Crowds of running enthusiasts, after a five-kilometre route through the streets of Warsaw, will reach the finish line located in the same place.
Warsaw, Poland, the world! The enthusiasm which exploded in our country in 1993 has reached the most distant corners of the world in a flash. Already during the very first Grand Finale, we were present across the ocean!
Jurek Owsiak, conductor of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, gave the signal and the 32nd Grand Finale officially began.
