A marathon livestream in Poland has set new fundraising records after collecting more than $69 million for children fighting cancer during a continuous nine-day broadcast that ended Sunday evening.
Social media influencer Piotr Hancke, who goes by the name Latwogang, orchestrated the event from his small Warsaw apartment, drawing support from high-profile figures including tennis champion Iga Swiatek and soccer star Robert Lewandowski.
The extraordinary fundraising effort brought in over 250 million zlotys for the Cancer Fighters Foundation, surpassing the previous livestream record of $19.5 million set in France last year by more than three times.
“We’re reaching for the stars, reaching for space, to help those who need it most, the innocent children who fight the hardest battles every day,” said Marek Kopysc, president of the Cancer Fighters Foundation, speaking to broadcaster RMF FM.
The livestream launched on April 17 via YouTube and concluded at 9:37 p.m. local time on Sunday. At its most popular moment, 1.4 million viewers watched simultaneously, setting new viewership records according to Poland’s state news agency PAP.
During one memorable portion of the broadcast, several celebrities cut off their hair in solidarity with cancer patients undergoing treatment.
The initiative was inspired by a song collaboration between rapper Bedoes and a young cancer patient. Hancke told his social media followers he would host a continuous charity stream with one second added for every ‘like’ the idea received on TikTok, according to PAP reports.
