What started with one song on repeat turned into one of YouTube’s biggest charity drives.
Polish social media influencer Piotr Garkowski, 23, known as Łatwogang, raised more than 257 million złoty, about £52.5 million, after a nine-day nonstop online stream to support children battling cancer.
Streaming from a studio flat in right-bank Warsaw, Garkowski listened on loop to the charity song “I’m still here” for nine days straight, filling the stream with dares and celebrity appearances.
The track was recorded by Polish rapper Bedoes 2115 with 11-year-old Maja Mecan. It is written as a rap diss track aimed at cancer.
“If you suffer from cancer just like me, this song is for you. I’m Maja and this is my third relapse, and I have reasons to diss you,” the girl says in the song.
Maja sings the chorus: “I’m still here/Did you think you had me?/I’m still here/We laugh in your face/I’m still here/And I’m not going anywhere.”
Garkowski, who was previously best known for recording a Polish-language version of Ed Sheeran’s hit Azizam with the singer, was joined during the stream by music artists, actors, sportspeople and influencers from Poland. Guests recreated their biggest viral hits and pop culture moments.
Coldplay singer Chris Martin made a brief appearance in a video, performing an improvised keyboard song using the Polish word for “pushing”. He added: “Sorry for my Polish!”
Just after 3am, Russian-born, Polish-naturalised speed skater Vladimir Semirunniy joined the stream and donated his silver medal from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in the 10,000 metre event. He then shaved his head in solidarity with child cancer patients, as did numerous other guests.
Poland and Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski also backed the campaign on social media. He danced to the song on TikTok and donated more than £200,000.
His teammate, former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, recorded a social video joined by Barcelona and Spain player Lamine Yamal.
Six-time grand slam tennis champion Iga Świątek donated more than £20,000 and two tickets to her match at this year’s Wimbledon tournament.
The original fundraising target was 500,000 złoty, about £102,000. As of Monday morning, the total had topped 257 million złoty, with more than 1.5 million people watching the finale live on Sunday night with Łatwogang, Bedoes 2115 and child cancer patients.
On Monday, Łatwogang and Bedoes 2115 thanked supporters on Instagram and congratulated them for “what you did for the kids and [how you] moved the entire country”.
“We ask the media … to publicise the fundraiser and the awareness that cancer is not a death sentence. Because that is all we care about,” they added.
The money will go to the Cancer Fighters foundation, which supports children with cancer and their parents, with a public promise that every penny will be publicly accounted for on a special website.
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