In the spotlight: The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity

This is what Poland looks like on the first or second Sunday of every year during a nationwide charity event, the Great Finale of The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) - one of the largest charity organizations in Poland.

"Sie ma!" ("Howdy!") - a man in his fifties, wearing a yellow shirt, red trousers and color-framed glasses shouts every couple of minutes from the TV screen. This is Jerzy Owsiak, the charismatic leader of WOŚP. Born in Gdańsk in 1953 Jerzy Owsiak registered the charity in March of 1992, along with his wife, Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, and two other people, Bohdan Maruszewski, and Piotr Burczyński.

Owsiak, in a loud voice and rapid-fire manner of speaking, encourages the whole country to donate, which it does generously. The first Finale in 1993 gathered funds for medical equipment to treat children with cardiac disorders and collected $1.5 (zł.5.4) million. Last year over $9.3 (zł.33.5) was gathered and the total amount over the years reached $74.1 (zł.267) million. Since its beginning the Orchestra has collected funds to help newborn babies, accident survivors, and cancer-treatment units. This year it is supporting the treatment of laryngological disorders.

WOŚP is active in the summer too, holding the Woodstock Festival (Przystanek Woodstock) a weekend-long, rock music festival held to thank all the volunteers who helped WOŚP in winter. The event has taken place since 1995, and in 2003 a record 400,000 people attended. Some of WOŚP's other activities include the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and education in CPR and first aid.