The grandiosely-named 'Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity' (also known as 'Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy' or WOŚP) is Poland's largest non-profit charity organisation, and their annual January fund-raising finale is by far Poland's biggest one-day public fund-raising event. Each year tens of thousands of volunteers across Poland raise hundreds of thousands of Polish złoty to support the Polish healthcare system and purchase much-needed medical equipment. Over the course of the 2021, the charity again broke records by raising over 1.5 billion PLN.If you're in Poland on this day and step outside to go just about anywhere, you'll no doubt encounter volunteers with their cardboard fundraising boxes and red heart stickers. Make a donation (of any size) and you get your very own red heart sticker - proof that you participated and a proud badge of honour; on the other hand, to not have a heart sticker on this day is almost akin to public shame, so make sure you've got some cash or coins ready, and don't hesitate - it's for a great cause.
