The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (GOCC, Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

 Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, WOŚP) is one of the biggest, non-governmental, non-profit, charity organizations

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 in Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. The GOCC Foundation has American Heart Association

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...

 Certification for providing courses in CPR and ECC, and use of high technology for medical lifesaving.

History

It was founded in 1993 by Jerzy Owsiak

Jerzy Owsiak

Jerzy Owsiak is a Polish journalist and social campaigner.He is a founder and President of the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy , one of the biggest non-governmental, non-profit, charity organizations in Poland.He is the main initiator and activist for the group's Grand...

, Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, Bohdan Maruszewski, and Piotr Burczyński. The main objective, at that time, was "Protecting Health and Saving Children's Lives by Providing Medical Equipment to Public Hospitals" (as stated in the deed of foundation). During the first Finale (for the benefit of pediatric cardio-surgery) in the same year, the Foundation collected a total of USD 1,535,440.68. Every year, millions of Poles donate their money to the Foundation and, between 1993 and 2005, they collected more than $60 million for public hospital

Hospital

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s in Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

.

Apart from The Grand Finale, the Foundation also organizes one of the biggest rock

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 concerts in Poland, Woodstock Festival Poland

Przystanek Woodstock

Przystanek Woodstock is an annual free rock music festival in Poland, inspired by and named for the Woodstock Festival, that has taken place since 1995...

, and it started the Peace Patrol, a group of young volunteers trained in first aid by the GOCC, the Polish Red Cross and the Szadowo town police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

. In 2010, the Charity was paid to be 'sponsor' of Ruch Chorzów

Ruch Chorzów

Ruch Chorzów is a Polish association football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland: 14 time national champion, and 3 time winner of the Polish Cup. Currently the team plays in the top Polish league, the Ekstraklasa. Their stadium capacity...

, one of Poland's top football teams.

The Grand Finale

The Grand Finale takes place on the first or second Sunday of every new year. Sponsored by many Polish and worldwide companies, it is a one-day long, nationwide, money

Money

Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...

-raising event. Volunteers from all around Poland go out on the street and collect money in special cans which are labeled with a red heart

Heart

The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...

 and text: "Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy" (Polish

Polish language

Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

 for The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity). They also have identification cards, thanks to which anyone can report suspicious-looking people collecting money to the police without any such proof of authorization. Everyone who gives the volunteers any amount of money, gets a red heart sticker in return.

During this one day, huge parties are thrown around the country (and at other places where Polish people live). These are organized by volunteers, except for the biggest event which takes place at the Pałac Kultury i Nauki (Palace of Culture and Science) in Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

, and is managed by the GOCC itself.

Throughout seventeen Grand Finales, the Foundation collected over $100 million for cardio-surgery, neonatology, pediatric oncology

Oncology

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...

, kidney

Kidney

The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...

 diseases, congenital defects, newborns and children under 5 years of age.

Finale	Date	Project objectives	Raised funds (in USD)
I	January 3, 1993	Children's cardio-surgery	1,535,440.68
II	January 2, 1994	Neonatology Neonatology Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units...	1,930,726.93
III	January 8, 1995	Pediatric oncology	2,816,465.36
IV	January 7, 1996	Rescue of accident Accident An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...  victims	2,543,413.59
V	January 5, 1997	Children's cardio-surgery	3,062,067.29
VI	January 4, 1998	Rescue of accident victims	3,543,276.74
VII	January 10, 1999	Neonatology Neonatology Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units...	4,515,020.82
VIII	January 9, 2000	Children's kidney diseases	6,089,390.91
IX	January 7, 2001	Newborns and children under 5	6,112,642.74
X	January 13, 2002	Congenital defects	6,848,998.85
XI	January 12, 2003	Newborns and children under 5	7,695,614.16
XII	January 11, 2004	Newborns and children under 5	6,923,443.22
XIII	January 9, 2005	Progressive methods of diagnostics and treatment in neonatology Neonatology Neonatology is a subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn infant. It is a hospital-based specialty, and is usually practiced in neonatal intensive care units...  and pediatrics Pediatrics Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...	9,864,292.87
XIV	January 8, 2006	Saving lives of children injured in accidents / teaching CPR and first aid First aid First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...	9,660,691.63
XV	January 14, 2007	Saving lives of children injured in accidents / CPR education	10,276,156.07
XVI	January 13, 2008	Children with otolaryngological Otolaryngology Otolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....  conditions	13,883,627.13
XVII	January 11, 2009	Prevention and early diagnosis of cancer in children	13,404,441.27
XVIII	January 10, 2010	Prevention and early diagnosis of cancer in children	14,413,466.03
n/a	July 4, 2010	Special Finale: "Prevent Flooding!"	805,662.73
XIX	January 9, 2011	Urological and nephrological diseases	16,499,157.81
TOTAL:	139,224,941.54 USD