Polish livestream fundraiser raises record $69 million for children with cancer

More than 250 million zlotys, or about $69 million, flooded into a nine-day livestream in Poland, turning a small Warsaw apartment into the center of a record-setting charity drive for children with cancer.

The nonstop broadcast, organized by influencer Piotr Hancke, known online as Latwogang, began on April 17 on YouTube and ended at 9:37 p.m. local time on April 26. At one point, it drew 1.4 million simultaneous viewers, a scale that pushed the event beyond a fundraiser and into the realm of mass public spectacle.

The campaign was built around a tightly managed mechanic: a continuous loop of the song Ciągle tutaj jestem (diss na raka), recorded by rapper Bedoes 2115 and Maja Mecan, an 11-year-old with acute myeloid leukemia. Latwogang billed the stream with the motto, “I listen for nine days to the cancer diss to help children from the Cancer Fighters Foundation,” turning the format itself into part of the message.

The original target was just 500,000 zlotys. By the end of the ninth day alone, more than 11 million zlotys had been donated, and the total had climbed to a level more than three times the previous livestream fundraising record. That old benchmark belonged to Z Event, a French charity stream in Montpellier that raised $19,458,634.71 in 2025.

The cast around the stream helped keep attention high. Iga Swiatek, Robert Lewandowski, Doda and chef Magda Gessler all made appearances, while influencers Kasix and Maffashion shaved their heads on air in solidarity with sick children. The mix of celebrity cameos, a visible countdown, and an emotional cause gave viewers a clear, repeatable way to participate, one donation at a time.

The money is headed to the Cancer Fighters Foundation, whose president, Marek Kopysc, said the organization is still counting the final amount and will work with oncology specialists to decide how the funds are distributed. The scale matters far beyond the record books: childhood cancer treatment brings steep medical, travel and caregiving costs, and a campaign this visible can mobilize support for families who often carry those burdens largely out of sight.