The drive, backed by the media and celebrities, got under way in the morning, with fundraising efforts across the nation and a host of other countries with Polish communities, including Britain, the United States and Australia.
The money collected will be used to support healthcare and buy modern medical equipment, according to the organisers.
This year’s fundraiser, the 33rd of its kind, aims to aid hospitals in purchasing equipment for pediatric oncology and hematology, with donations going to "18 children's wards, 17 hospices, five oncological neurosurgery centres, six oncological surgery centres, and four pathomorphology departments" nationwide, according to Jerzy Owsiak, the driving force behind the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity effort.
By midnight, the total collected had exceeded PLN 178.5 million (around EUR 23.7 million, USD 24.9 million) and the money was expected to continue pouring in, state news agency PAP reported.
Showbiz celebrities and sports luminaries, including football star Robert Lewandowski and tennis player Iga Świątek, have pitched in by putting up personal items for a charity auction.
Last year, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity set a fundraising record when it collected nearly PLN 282 million (EUR 66 million, USD 68 million) for equipment to help diagnose and prevent lung diseases, according to reports at the time.
The foundation behind the drive says it has raised more than PLN 2 billion (EUR 470 million, USD 480 million) for pediatric and elderly healthcare, and bought more than 71,500 pieces of medical equipment, since the annual effort was launched in 1992.
The foundation behind the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity drive says it has raised more than PLN 2 billion (EUR 470 million, USD 480 million) in funds for pediatric and elderly healthcare, and bought more than 71,500 pieces of medical equipment, since the annual effort was launched in 1992. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP, TVN24, polskieradio24.pl