GOCC receives European Citizen's Prize

Each year, the European Parliament awards «The European Citizen’s Prize». This prize is intended to be an award for exceptional achievements in the following areas: Activities or actions by citizens, groups, associations or organisations having displayed an outstanding commitment to promoting better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens of the Member States; or to facilitating cross-border or transnational cooperation within the European Union. This could also include activities or actions by citizens engaged in long-term, cross-border or transnational cultural cooperation contributing to the strengthening of a European spirit. 

This award serves to recognize activities giving concrete expression to the values entailed in the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union.

This year three Polish non-governmental initiatives have been chosen by the members of European Parliament: two other organizations are Polish-Jewish Forum - working to foster cross-cultural dialogue and Alicja Szatkowska - working to improve the lives of disabled children. 

This award serves to prove that the work of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity does have a massive impact and our work to build civic awareness has been noticed by the members of the European Union, who create our European community. We are so happy to influence the development of NGOs in Poland, we are happy we have helped shape the law and we are delighted to set precedent and rules which now apply to the work of charitable organizations in Poland. We are so happy to be the source of pride for so many Poles in the country and abroad. This award is a proof that what we do is not a fib, but a well-managed and perfectly organized enterprise which works so well because people want to show their support! - Jurek Owsiak, chairman of the board of the Foundation.