This year’s campaign, held under the slogan “Healthy tummies for our children”, aims to support the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in children.
It will involve 1,681 local fundraising teams and around 120,000 volunteers in Poland and abroad, with collections taking place for the first time in Malta and India.
Speaking at the National Stadium site in Warsaw, where a 150-tonne main stage is being built, Owsiak said organisers had overcome recent freezing temperatures by adapting equipment and using special fuel, keeping preparations on schedule.
Events linked to the finale begin this weekend, including the popular “Run Against Diabetes”, which can also be joined virtually and has attracted participants from countries ranging from Brazil and the US to Iceland and the UK.
A WOŚP festival village has also opened near the stadium, featuring first-aid demonstrations and concerts by leading Polish bands.
Online charity bidding is under way, including an initiative by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has put a pair of gold football boots up for auction.
Owsiak noted that over its 34-year history, the foundation has raised more than 2.6bn złoty (about €625m) for children’s healthcare, strengthening fields such as cardiology, neonatology and paediatric oncology. Last year’s finale alone raised more than 289m złoty (around €629m).
Addressing critics, Owsiak stressed that donations go entirely to medical causes, adding that the scale of the campaign shows what can be achieved through long-term, collective civic engagement.
A day earlier, Owsiak spoke on Poland's national broadcaster, Polish Radio, about the origins of the charity, reflecting on how the initiative began more than three decades ago.
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Source: WOŚP/IAR/PAP/Facebook.com/Jurek Owsiak/X/@donaldtusk/PR3