In 2009 it was the sixth edition of the annual Serious Request fundraiser in The Netherlands organized by radio station 3FM for the Red Cross! This year Groningen, a beautiful city in the northern part of our country had the honors. In the center of the 'Grote Markt', the city square the glass house was built. The Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs promised the Dutch government would again contribute, but this time he mentioned no amount...
So it was off again. The charity cause this year was raising money for repelling Malaria as a disease globally. This infectuous disease, spread by the so-called malaria-mosquitos is a terrible thing, where it doesn't have to be. The cure for it is available in many countries. But in other countries where there is much poverty, people do not have access to these cures and many become the victims of this horrible disease.
The DJ's who would be locked up for a week were Giel Beelen, Annemieke Schollaardt and Gerard Ekdom. They were locked up for a full week, without eating anything except some fruit shakes.
Many sportsmen, artists and musicians visited the glass house and contributed donations by auctioning precious personals items, like the piano of Roel van Velzen, the T-shirt of AFC Ajax football players or private home concerts. Waylon had his head shaved as someone offered € 7.150,- to the Red Cross if he'd really have that done.... OUCH!
One of the many highlights in 2009 was the sudden appearance of a flashmob, dancing to the tunes of Snow Patrol:
But also, who can forget what happened on the morning of 20 December 2009, when a caller requesting a song in exchange for a donation to the fundraiser tells about her father, who passed away exactly one year before this call... Very emotional moment...
The total amount funded in 2009 was € 7.113.447,-, including 3 million euro's as promised by the Dutch government. A new record!
The theme song in 2007 for Serious Request was as decided by 3FM One Song, by Rigby. But another song was requested the most: It Gets Better, by Ryan Shaw.