Our History

THE GREAT ORCHESTRA OF CHRISTMAS CHARITY FOUNDATION (GOCC)

We are non-governmental and non-profit organization exisitng since 1993. We operate
on a nation-wide scale. We gather money once a year. Money is spent for sophisticated equipment for public hospitals, realization of four medical and two educational programs.
In 14 years, we have helped to equip pediatric divisions of cardio-surgery, neonatology, oncology, nephrology, newborns and children under 5 years old divisions, as well as emergency rooms.
All together, we have provided over $65 mln in financial assistance for Public Hospitals in Poland.
Our objectives, included in the status document, are also health promotion and education in the field of preventive treatment.

GOCC HISTORY

1992
- Jerzy Owsiak initiates money gathering action in service of pediatric cardio-surgery in his TV show

1993
- GOCC registration
- Board of Directors Establishment (Jerzy Owsiak, Lidia Niedzwiedzka-Owsiak, Bohdan Maruszewski, and Piotr Burczynski)
- Foundation Status Establishment: Health-Protection, and Children Lives Saving through Providing Medical Equipment for Public Hospitals
- 1st Finale in service of pediatric cardio-surgery results in collecting 1 535 440,68 USD
- 1st offers competition provides medical equipment for all 10 cardio surgery divisions in Poland

1994
- 2nd Finale in service of neonatology results in collecting 1 930 726,93 USD
- 2nd offers competition provides medical equipment for numerous neonatal divisions in Poland

1995
- 3rd Finale in service of pediatric oncology results in collecting 2 816 465,36 USD
- 3rd offers competition provides medical equipment for pediatric oncology divisions and hospices
- 1st Woodstock Festival
- Beginning of collaboration with Polish Red Cross
- Peace Patrol is created

1996
- 4th Finale in service of accidents' victims results in collecting 2 543 413,59 USD
- 4th offers competition provides medical equipment for post-traumatic surgery divisions
- 2nd Woodstock Festival

1997
- 5th Finale in service of pediatric cardio-surgery results in collecting 3 062 067,29 USD
- 5th offers competition provides medical equipment for cardio-surgery divisions
- 3rd Woodstock Festival

1998
- 6th Finale in service of accidents victims results in collecting 3 543 276,74 USD
- 6th & 7th offers competitions provide medical equipment for post traumatic divisions
- 4th Woodstock Festival

1999
- 7th Finale in service of neonatology results in collecting 4 515 020,82 USD
- 8th & 9th offers competitions provide medical equipment for neonatal divisions
- 5th Woodstock festival

2000
- 8th Finale in service of nephrology results in collecting 6 089 390,91 USD
- 10th, 11th, & 12th offers competitions provide medical equipment for nephrology divisions as well as personal devices for home dialysis for all children depending on dialysis
- New project sets of: GOCC runs first-aid training sessions in collaboration with Polish Red Cross

2001
- 9th Finale in service of newborns and children under 5 years old results in collecting 6 112 642,74 USD
- 13th & 14th offers competitions provide medical equipment for pediatric divisions
- 7th Woodstock Festival
- New project sets of: GOCC funds personal insulin pumps for children with diabetes

2002
- 10th Finale in service of children with congenital defects results in collecting 6 848 998,85 USD
- 15th & 16th offers competition provide medical equipment for pediatric divisions
- 8th Woodstock Festival
- New project sets of: GOCC finances Universal Neonatal Hearing Screenings

2003
- 11th Finale in service of newborns and children under 5 years old results in collecting 7 695 614,16 USD
- 17th & 18th offers competitions provide medical equipment for pediatric divisions
- New project sets of: GOCC funds Infant Flow systems for Public Hospitals
- Status Update: Health Protection and Life Saving through Buying Medical Equipment as well as Health Promotion and Education in the Field of Preventive Treatment
- 9th Woodstock Festival
- Funding training facility Szadowo where along with Polish Red Cross GOCC runs regular first aid classes
- New Project sets of: Diabetes Center

2004
- 12th Finale in service of newborns and children under 5 years old results in collecting 6 923 443,22 USD
-19th offers competition provide medical equipment for infant and children under 5 years old units
- 10th Woodstock Festival
- Official Inauguration of the Training Center Szadowo-Mill
- Visiting Wiser Center in Pittsburgh, which will soon inspire collaboration with American Heart Association

2005
- 13th Finale supporting progressive methods of diagnostics and treatment in neonatology and pediatrics results in collecting 9 864 292,87 USD
- First time GOCC helps people abroad: funding medical equipment worth 250 000 USD for children' units in Sri Lanka touched by Tsunami
- New project sets of: Szadowo-Mill and Peace Patrol medical instructors get the license to teach CPR/AED and First Aid according to standards set by the American Heart Association, they start with training over 100 police officers from Kwidzyn District
- GOCC promotes increasing public access to Automated External Defibrillation
- Funding AEDs for public places
-20th offers competition provides equipment for treatment and diagnostics for pediatrics and neonatology
-Visiting Wiser Center in Pittsburgh. This time to leave Polish flag among flags of countries cooperating with AHA
-Visiting Laerdal Factowy in Stavanger, Norway. This visit inspired creating CPR for Schools Program
-Patronate over hip surgery of Iraqi girl in Poland
2006
-14 Final supporting children injured in accidents and teaching CPR and first aid results in collecting
-visiting VIII Congress of European Resuscitation Council in Stavanger, Norway
-21 offers compatition provides AEDs
-22 offers competition provides equipemnt for professional rescue teams
-23 offers competition provides insulin pumps for diabetic children
www.wosp.org.pl