Just days after opening registrations, 467 Collection Centres have signed up to participate in the 33rd Grand Finale fundraiser organised by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, with 100 centres already confirmed! Registration for Collection Centres will remain open until 18 November 2024, and the number of volunteers continues to grow. On 26 January 2025, we will unite to support paediatric oncology and hematology.
There is no "Summer Blaze in January" without donors, volunteers, and of course, the Collection Centres, which are crucial in coordinating local fundraising efforts. GOCC Collection Centres serve as hubs of community engagement, where volunteers are recruited, collections are organised, and accompanying events take place. Each year, thousands of people take part in the Orchestra's activities – during the 32nd Grand Finale alone, 1,685 Collection Centres were established (including 100 international centres across 23 countries!), and nearly 120,000 volunteers got involved.
Volunteers during the 32nd Grand Finale, photo: Marcin Zieliński
The start of Collection Centre registrations, alongside the announcement of the fundraiser’s medical aim, signals the key phase of preparations for the event. Among the first centres to register this year are Hufiec Ziemi Dzierżoniowskiej ZHP, Manufaktura Łódź, and Miłosławskie Centrum Kultury.
Registration for the 33rd Grand Finale began on 16 October and will remain open until 18 November. Currently, nearly 500 applications have been submitted. Activists from across Poland, as well as from Belgium, the UK, Spain, Indonesia, the USA, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Thailand, Cyprus, Australia, and France, are eager to join the Grand Finale. Volunteer registration will open on 12 November.
Interested in starting a Collection Centre?
If you're planning to organise a collection or an event for the 33rd Grand Finale and have a team of volunteers ready to go, here’s what you need to know! Before taking action, check to see if a GOCC Collection Centre is already operating in your area (you can find the updated list on our website). If one exists, we encourage you to join forces – together, you can achieve even more! The GOCC Foundation fosters collaboration among various organisations and communities. However, if there isn’t a centre in your region, you're welcome to set up your own.
About the 33rd Grand Finale
The 33rd Grand Finale will take place on 26 January 2025, with the funds raised going towards the purchase of specialised equipment for paediatric oncology and haematology. We aim to procure:
- Oncological surgery equipment, including laparoscopic sets, surgical robots, cystoscopes, ultrasound aspirators, and mobile digital X-ray machines
- Neurosurgery tools such as neurosurgical exoscopes and bipolar coagulation devices
- Oncology diagnostics equipment, including magnetic brain mapping devices, MRI machines, and ultrasound systems
- Pathomorphology tools, such as intraoperative tomography devices, tissue processors, and scanners for histopathological analysis
- Hospice care items, including oxygen concentrators and anti-bedsore mattresses
