Vilcāns will join DJs Marta Grigale and Linda Samsonova from the ‘Latvijas Radio 5 – Pieci.lv' youth radio station as a guest DJ and lke them "will be locked in the glass studio" according to oraganizers.
He found refuge in Latvia at the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and responded to the ‘High Five!’ team's invitation to take part in this year's charity marathon to help Ukrainian refugee children who were forced to flee and ended up in Latvia due to the Russian invasion.
Another DJ, Toms Grēviņš will repeat a tradition started last year by running seven 42 km marathons during the charity drive.
As previously reported by LSM (which is also part of Latvian public media), ‘High Five!’ will take place from December 16 to 22. This year, the organisers of the charity marathon will invite you to exchange your EUR 5 donation for your favourite song on Pieci.lv to support Ukrainian children in Latvia. The donations will provide direct assistance to fulfil children’s basic needs – purchase of school supplies and computers, health improvement and psychological support, winter shoes, clothing and other acute items.
Edgars Vilcāns is a music producer, composer, arranger and jazz pianist, a graduate of the R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music. As a producer for Mozgi, one of the biggest Ukrainian record labels in Kyiv, he has worked with many great Ukrainian musicians. He is currently based in Rīga and continues to work with Ukrainian musicians remotely. In addition, he collaborates with Latvian musicians.
"Edgars joining the ‘High Five!’ team this year is a special gain. There is no doubt that he will be able to explain the events in Ukraine to the marathon listeners and viewers much better than any journalist and give a young person's perspective on what is happening! Edgar is also a very talented musician and producer, and after this year's ‘High Five!’ we can say that he is also a radio DJ!" commented Grēviņš, the founder of the charity marathon 'High Five!' in Latvia.
"Latvia has given me so much in such a short time – friends, projects, work and now the opportunity to take part in ‘High Five!’. This project makes life so much better, thus I am happy to be part of it. After what I went through in Ukraine and the rockets that exploded over my head, I am sure I can handle anything. As a friend of mine said, in this world there is a part of paradise and a part of hell, and we have to take off the rose-coloured glasses and see reality for what it is. I think that by seeing reality, we can help to make world better for those around us," said Edgars.
In solidarity with the Ukrainian people forced to flee the war started by Russia, ‘High Five!’ is calling on the public to support Ukrainian children in Latvia this year. There are currently more than 35,000 Ukrainian refugees in Latvia. According to estimates by the Ministry of the Interior, around 31% of all Ukrainian refugees in Latvia are children, mostly aged between 2 and 17.
The funds donated during the marathon will go through the project's partner, the charity Ziedot.lv, to the Emergency Relief Fund to provide direct assistance for the basic needs of Ukrainian refugee children in Latvia – school supplies and computers, health and psychological support, winter shoes, clothing and other acute items. As every year, 100% of the funds donated at this year’s charity marathon will be donated to the cause.
The charity marathon ‘High Five!’ is part of an international project called ‘Serious Request’, in which radio DJs in different European countries broadcast for a week from a special glass studio, putting the focus on a specific group or socially relevant topic chosen by the charity marathon. Everyone is invited to donate in exchange for hearing their favourite song on the radio.
‘High Five!’ is organised by ‘Latvijas Radio’ in cooperation with ‘Latvijas Televīzija’ and the public media portal LSM.lv. The project partner is the charity organisation Ziedot.lv. The partners of the charity marathon are Luminor and Circle K, the communication campaign is created by the advertising agency ‘Havas Creative’. More than 20 companies are also supporting the charity marathon 'High Five!'.
More information: www.dodpieci.lv
