Charity drive raises millions, devotes some proceeds to tsunami victims

This was already the thirteenth collection organized by Jerzy Owsiak, WOŚP founder. This time the money will be spent on new diagnostic equipment for children and prematurely born babies. By the time Poland A.M.'s Monday edition went to press, WOŚP volunteers had managed to collect as much as zł.17 million, which is more than at the same time last year, and will probably increase. Some of the money from the Internet auction will be designated for the children's hospital destroyed by the tsunami in Sri Lanka. This year Polish soldiers stationed in Iraq also took part in the collection. But there have also been some voices criticizing the whole idea. Yesterday Trwam television showed material juxtaposing WOŚP volunteers with the concert "Przystanek Woodstock" organized every year by Owsiak. Owsiak claims that this is a distortion of the facts. "From over zł.27 million that we collected last year only zł.1.2 million from the interest was devoted to the organization of the concert," he said and added that he was ready to sue Trwam television. (Rzeczposlita, pp. A1, A4, Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 6) A.F.