ONE OF the biggest events in the calendar for Ireland’s Poles took place last weekend in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
The Grand Finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is an annual day of fundraising concerts, auctions and shows for the purpose of saving children’s lives and promoting health. It is organised in Poland and all around the globe by Polish diaspora on behalf of a charity established by controversial rock-and-roll-loving celebrity Jurek Owsiak.
Ireland has been a part of the Grand Finale since 2007, raising over €30,000 in total for different children’s health causes. This year’s events were to raise money for children’s cancer research.
Anna PaÅ› of Polski Express magazine said: “What matters above all during this day is this wonderful gesture of solidarity and brilliant energy that flows from thousands of red heart-shaped stickers stuck to coats and jumpers of people who donated money to support children... It is also an opportunity to show that the Polish diaspora in Ireland is not cut off from its roots.”
Hundreds attended an event at Le Cirk on Dublin’s Dame Street, where they could listen to saxophone legends, divas singing blues standards and Polish-Slovak folk musicians and take part in a public salsa lesson led by the Afrimania dancing group, as well as get information about the local elections in Ireland provided by Forum Polonia.
During the auction portion of the event, the Polish ambassador’s tie went for €70 euro, a calendar with pictures of the forthcoming erotic comedy by a Polish-Irish theatre group Foca went for €45, and works by Polish artists of growing reputation such as Marta WakuÅ‚a Mac, Katarzyna Gajewska and Agata StoiÅ„ska were also popular.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD and Cyprian Brady TD from the Dublin Central constituency also donated items to the auction.
