Youth radio station will help kids in care

This year's event will take place from 17 to 23 December, the station's Līga Andžāne said.

Around 1,500 children live in children's homes, faced with problems such as violence, lack of love and often a sense of abandonment by society, which institutions have known for years, but have not been able to remedy.

In recent months both the public media project "Children of the System" and other mass media have highlighted the problems faced by children's home residents who are deprived of many things that others take for granted as part of a normal and happy childhood.

"We believe that every child needs a family and that there are enough people in Latvia who can take children into their homes," DJ Toms Grevins said in the announcement of the new initiative.

"It will be an opportunity to help and support children who do not grow up in families," said Anna Platpire, editor-in-chief of Pieci.lv content. .

"We want every child in Latvia to have a chance to experience a happy childhood and family. Every child needs a family, because there is no childhood without a family. "

Charity Marathon "Gives Five!" is part of the international project "Serious Request", in which several charity marathons take place annually in various European countries.

The hashtag for this year's event will be #SalaboBērnību (improve childhood).

In the first charity marathon in December 2014, 64,550 euros were donated, which provided Christmas gifts to more than 5,000 elderly people in Latvia. 

In 2015, 135,546 euros were donated, which provided assistance support to more than 50 families with children with special needs. 

In 2016, Gimme Five! did even better, raising 190,910 euros, which will provide the opportunity to organize 21 camps for cancer patients and their relatives. 

You can watch the presentation of the European Citizens' Award in recognition of the fundraising efforts live on October 6 here.