High Five! raises record-high amount for charity in Latvia

This year's goal was to help pay for rehabilitation classes for children and young people with neurological movement disorders. All funds raised during the marathon will go to the charity organisation Ziedot.lv, which will help pay for these rehabilitation sessions.

On the evening of December 12th, after an opening concert, DJs Toms Grēviņš, Jānis Pētersons, and Linda Samsonova went to a glass studio for six days, where they were locked in by Rūta Dimanta, the head of Ziedot.lv. During these six days, or 144 hours, the DJs listened to stories from guests and donors, interviewed experts, welcomed musicians to the studio, and played songs exchanged for donations on the air.

On the evening of December 18th, Edgars Žagariņš completed his million steps, walking 24–27 kilometres every day for a month to help raise donations for the "High Five!" charity marathon. With his campaign "1,000,000 steps for the first step," he managed to raise more than 10,000 euros.

The charity marathon was supported by more than 110 solo artists and music groups of various genres who visited the glass studio. The main principle of "High Five!" is to play songs in exchange for donations. This year's 100 most popular songs selected for the charity marathon will be broadcast on Latvian Radio 5 on December 31 at 12:00 p.m. The top 10 most popular songs in alphabetical order are: "Bel Tempo" x Legzdina – "The Water"; ⁠"Coldplay" – "Christmas Lights"; Dons – "Tuvums"; Galeniex, reivs – "tērēt, ne krāt"; ⁠John Lennon – "Happy Xmas" ("War Is Over"); ⁠"Knīpas un knauķi" – "Piparkūkas danco"; Lauris Reiniks, Ralfs Eilands – "Labos darbus krāj"; Louis Armstrong – "What A Wonderful World"; "Pērkons" – "Slidotava"; "Sudden Lights" – "Mūsu mīlestība".

Excluding the largest donation and corporate donations, this year's most expensive song, for which €100,000 was donated, is "Reiz tu nāksi klusumā" ("Once You Come in Silence") performed by Intars Busulis.