One person was killed and nine others injured after strong winds battered large parts of Poland over the weekend, snapping trees, damaging roofs and disrupting power supplies.
As of 9 a.m. Sunday, Polish firefighters had been called out more than 16,000 times to deal with the aftermath of gales in various parts of the country, Karol Kierzkowski, a spokesperson for the State Fire Service, told reporters.
Powerful winds wreaked havoc primarily in the northern Pomorskie region, the neighboring province of Zachodniopomorskie, and the western region of Wielkopolskie.
In Pomerania, one person was killed by a falling tree, and firefighters attended to over 2,500 (2,546) incidents. Over 45 thousand residents in Pomerania still had no electricity as of 8:00 p.m. Monday morning, with the worst impacts of the storm being felt in the communities of Słupsk, Bytów, Chojnice, and Kościerzyna.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland, PAP
The 30th edition of the annual Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) fundraiser had its grand finale last night, with volunteers collecting over PLN 136 million in donations.
The drive got underway Sunday morning with fundraising efforts across Poland and a host of other countries with Polish communities, including the United States, Australia, and Japan.
An estimated 120,000 volunteers across Poland collected funds on behalf of 17 collection centers, with jubilee galas held last night to celebrate the success of this year’s campaign. Celebrities and sports stars, including tennis player Iga Świątek, pitched in by putting up personal items for a charity auction and performing at galas.
As of this morning, the total collected by WOŚP stood at over PLN 136 million (EUR 29.7 million). The money collected this year will be used to diagnose and treat eye diseases in children and to purchase modern medical equipment for hospitals and clinics.
The foundation behind WOŚP says it has raised more than PLN 1.5 billion (EUR 330 million) for pediatric and elderly healthcare since the effort was launched in 1992.
Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk, wosp.org.pl
The City of Gdańsk kicked off its year as a European Capital of Volunteering during the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity gala last night at the Baltic Philharmonic.
The title provides international recognition to the activities of Gdańsk volunteers and voluntary organizations and also requires the city to promote volunteerism in Europe in 2022.
According to city officials, plans for the year include the development of a volunteer card as a component of the existing resident card, creation of an e-learning platform, the launch of a Gdańsk environmental fund, and the certification of volunteer competencies and volunteer-friendly organizations.
Under the official slogan of „Bez nas nie działa,” activities will be carried out in four thematic areas: people and the environment, a democratic and active society, active residents and volunteers, and civic engagement at schools and universities.
The European Capital of Volunteering title has been awarded to various cities since 2013, including Berlin, Germany, Padua, Italy, and Košice, Slovenia.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, The First News
After weeks of media speculation and guessing, the new coach of Poland’s national football team is expected to be announced later today.
The Polish Football Association (PZPN) is scheduled to hold a news conference at the National Stadium in Warsaw at 1:30 a.m. on Monday to introduce the new manager.
The announcement comes after the controversial departure of the former manager, Paulo Sousa, who asked to leave his role by mutual consent after reportedly being offered a job with Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo Rio de Janeiro.
Polish media outlets have speculated that Sousa could be replaced by former boss Adam Nawałka or Czesław Michniewicz, who recently managed Legia Warszawa.
The Polish national team is set to face Russia in the World Cup playoffs on March 24 in Moscow. If Poland wins, they will play either Sweden or the Czech Republic at home on March 29 for a spot at the finals in Qatar.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with very little chance for rain or snow and a light breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will peak around a high of 2°C, or 35°F, dropping to an overnight low of -1°C or 30°F. Similar cold weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some snow beginning tomorrow afternoon.
Elizabeth Peck/MarWer
