Thousands gathered in Gdańsk and across Poland last night to celebrate the finale of WOŚP (The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity) and commemorate the first anniversary of the passing of former Gdańsk Mayor Paweł Adamowicz.
The WOŚP finale concluded at 20:00 on Sunday night with the traditional “lights to Heaven” event, which included a light show as well as fireworks this year. Participants were asked to shine their lights – in the form of candles, lighters, or screens – toward the heavens, reminding many in Gdańsk of a similar scene last year when thousands stood and wept silently in front of Dwór Artusa as Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” echoed down Długa Street.
On January 13th, 2019, Mayor Adamowicz was attacked with a knife during the WOŚP finale. Despite the best efforts of doctors at the Medical University Clinic, Adamowicz passed away the following day. At the time of his death at the age of 53, he had been mayor of Gdańsk for 20 years.
In his last words, Adamowicz praised Gdańsk for its generosity, for being “the most wonderful city in the world,” and for the fact that “Gdańsk shares its goodness.” His words were echoed last night by the current mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, who reminded residents that “goodness multiplies and always returns…[it] should be the currency not only in Gdańsk” and “not only today.”
Source: PAP, Radio Gdańsk
Poles donate over 115 million PLN
Poles across the country and around the world proved this weekend that they also knew how to “share their goodness.”
As of midnight on Sunday, the annual WOŚP charity event had raised over 115 million PLN (27 million EUR), which will be used to purchase much needed equipment and resources for children’s hospitals around Poland.
Poland wasn’t the only country participating, however. WOŚP events were also held across across the European Union, including in Ireland, the UK, France, and Germany, as well as across the Atlantic in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Auctions and concerts for WOŚP appeared as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Japan, with organizers in Australia collecting money to help fight the disastrous wildfires that have been ravaging the country since October.
In the US, participants bid on a dinner with legendary heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, and in Moscow the jerseys of Polish footballers playing for the club Lokomotiv Moscow were auctioned off while and participants were treated to Polish literature, cuisine, and traditional Polish songs performed by Alina Bułyczewa, a Voice of Poland contestant.
Source: PAP
Commemorating Paweł Adamowicz
Commemorative events honoring the memory of Paweł Adamowicz will be held throughout the week, culminating in a conference on “Violence and Politics” at the European Solidarity Center on Wednesday.
Earlier this morning, Nowa Bulońska Street in Migowo was officially renamed and dedicated as Paweł Adamowicz Avenue. At 17:00 this evening the European Solidarity will host the premiere of the book “Death of a Mayor” by Katarzyna Żelazek, and at 19:45 city officials will unveil a commemorative plaque at the square between Złota Brama and Katownia. The evening will conclude at 20:30 with a multifaith prayer at the grave of Adamowicz in Bazylika Mariacka.
All events will be livestreamed on the city of Gdańsk website at https://livestream.com/gdanskpl/adamowicz2020.
For more information on the “Violence and Politics” conference, visit: https://ecs.gda.pl/title,KONFERENCJA_%7C_PRZEMOC_I_POLITYKA,pid,2138.html
Source: gdansk.pl
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cold with a slight chance of rain showers later in the day. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high of 6 degrees Celsius or 43 degrees Fahrenheit and a strong breeze coming from the northeast. Similar breezy, cold, and cloudy weather is forecast for tomorrow, with a chance of rain in the early afternoon.
RGEN/EP
