These were the last words of President of Gdańsk Paweł Adamowicz during the 2018 Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, right before he was stabbed to death on stage. Due to these tragic circumstances, the finale carries extra poignancy in Gdańsk as a tribute to the former mayor and the locals due their best to honour him and live up to his words under the motto of "Gdańsk shares its Wealth and Goodness."
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (known as WOŚP in Polish) is Poland's largest non-profit charity organisation, which has raised billions of złoty to buy new medical equipment for the Polish health system since it began in 1993. In 2020 alone, WOŚP raised over 1.5 billion PLN! Each year's annual campaign ends with the WOŚP Grand Finale - a final fundraising push that gives everyone - including you! - the opportunity to donate and help them continue their record-breaking streak. On this day you'll see volunteers with cardboard collection boxes all over town and the charity's iconic red heart stickers on nearly everyone you see, indicating that they donated. Don't be that guy/gal that doesn't have one.
But the Grand Finale is not just a last-ditch fund drive, it's also a full day of free concerts and events. In Gdańsk the WOŚP stage is typically set up on Targ Węglowy in the Old Town, or - more recently - on Plac Solidarności near the European Solidarity Centre, which can accommodate larger crowds. Performances by big-name Polish music stars will be taking place all afternoon and evening - culminating in a massive fireworks display at 20:00 - then followed by more concerts! The entire event has a bit of a rock festival vibe, it's basically free (donations accepted) and it's for a great cause - check it out!
