One of Poland's biggest charity organisations - the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity held its annual fundraising drive on Sunday. The aim of this year's event was to collect money for early diagnosis of cancer of children and to promote the idea of a healthier lifestyle. The majority of the funds was raised as usual  by volunteers with collection boxes on the streets. The final sum collected will be known at the end of February. 
 
It all started with Jerzy Owsiak, a social campaigner, journalist and co-founder of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity which took place for the first time in January 1993 in the northern city of Bydgoszcz. The huge public response led to the establishment of the event as a regular fixture in Poland's charity fund-raising calendar. The money raised goes for the treatment of sick children but each year for a different type of disease.

This year one hundred twenty thousand volunteers hit the streets to raise money for early diagnosis of cancer in children. Fifteen hundred fund raiser centers have been registered in Poland, and 27 in other countries, including Britain, Germany, France, the USA, Greece, Holland, Kosovo and Saudi Arabia.

Apart from collecting money by volunteers on the streets the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity conducted its fundraising online. Several objects have been up for grabs in the Internet auction, among them a Porsche 987 Boxster donated by the first winner of the Polish edition of “Dancing with the Stars”, Agata Kulesza. Other attractions have included a helmet from the Formula 1 star Ferdinand Alonso, a copy of Poland’s constitution with the Dalai Lama's autograph as well as many other gifts donated by Polish celebrities.

As of last night the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity collected over 32.5 million zlotys or 8 million euros but the final sum of this year's drive will be known by the end of February.