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“Dod pieci!” (High Five!) charity marathon

The “Dod pieci!” charity marathon 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.

The Cause of This Year’s Donations

“Dod pieci!” will raise donations for specific, evidence-based support mechanisms for people who have attempted suicide and those at high risk of self-harm or suicide.

Charity Marathon Venue and Time

This year, “Dod pieci!” will take place from 11 December until 17 December. The glass Studio of Latvian Radio 5 will be located in Riga, Dome Square.

Project Promoters

“Dod pieci!” charity marathon is organised by Latvian Public Service Media.

Project Cause

Each year, the charity marathon highlights a topic of importance to society and supports communities in great need. The marathon’s main goal is a more humane environment – every “Dod pieci!” story is about how we still need to work on ourselves as a society.

Where the Donations Will Go

The donations will be entrusted to the charity organisation Ziedot.lv to help fund support groups for people who have experienced a suicide attempt, as well as evidence-based therapy for people at particularly high risk of self-harm or suicide.

Project Partners

The project partner Ziedot.lv provides the infrastructure for collecting donations and administers the funds in line with the objectives of the project.

The Cause of This Year’s Donations

“Dod pieci!” will raise donations for specific, evidence-based support mechanisms for people who have attempted suicide and those at high risk of self-harm or suicide.

Charity Marathon Venue and Time

This year, “Dod pieci!” will take place from 11 December until 17 December. The glass Studio of Latvian Radio 5 will be located in Riga, Dome Square.

Project Promoters

“Dod pieci!” charity marathon is organised by Latvian Public Service Media.

Project Cause

Each year, the charity marathon highlights a topic of importance to society and supports communities in great need. The marathon’s main goal is a more humane environment – every “Dod pieci!” story is about how we still need to work on ourselves as a society.

Where the Donations Will Go

The donations will be entrusted to the charity organisation Ziedot.lv to help fund support groups for people who have experienced a suicide attempt, as well as evidence-based therapy for people at particularly high risk of self-harm or suicide.

Project Partners

The project partner Ziedot.lv provides the infrastructure for collecting donations and administers the funds in line with the objectives of the project.

#DodPieci2026

We don’t want to lose a single person

This year, Latvian Public Service media’s charity marathon “Dod pieci!” will focus on mental health and suicide prevention in Latvian society. The marathon aims to reduce the stigma and silence surrounding mental health difficulties, help people recognise risks early, seek support and highlight systemic shortcomings. At the same time, the charity marathon will raise donations for specific, evidence-based support mechanisms for people who have attempted suicide and those at high risk of self-harm or suicide. The marathon will also emphasise that help is available in times of crisis and that starting a conversation can be the first step towards change, recovery and the possibility of continuing to live.

#DodPieci

Kāpēc šogad palīdzēsim cilvēkiem pēc pašnāvības mēģinājuma un cilvēkiem ar augstu paškaitējuma vai pašnāvības risku?

Mental health difficulties affect a significant proportion of Latvia’s population. According to Latvia’s Country Health Profile by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approximately 16% of Latvia’s population were living with mental health conditions in 2019, close to the European Union average of 17%. Meanwhile, the 2024 study on health-related behaviours among the Latvian population conducted by the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of Latvia (SPKC) paints a broader picture of emotional distress. Among people aged 15 to 74, 53,7% reported experiencing tension, stress or low mood at times during the previous 30 days, 8,0% had experienced such feelings more often than usual, while 0,6% said that life had felt almost unbearable. Overall, it can be concluded that 62,4% of respondents had experienced at least one of these signs of emotional distress, with 8,6% selecting one of the two most severe response categories. These experiences were reported more frequently by women: 67,8% of women had experienced at least one of the symptoms mentioned above, compared with 56,5% of men. At the same time, research shows that for some people, mental health difficulties can develop into a severe crisis. A study by Riga Stradiņš University on the prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal behaviour in Latvia found that 10,6% of adults reported experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harm or suicidal behaviour during the previous month. Data from SPKC show that between 2020 and 2024, an average of 258 people died by suicide in Latvia each year, including 214 men and 44 women. Importantly, intentional self-harm is the leading external cause of death in Latvia, and around 80% of suicide cases are associated with depression.

Immadiate support for people in crisis whose safety may be affected by alcohol or other substance use plays important role in suicide prevention. Data from SPKC show that alcohol was detected in 43% of people who died by suicide. The proportion was higher among men, with alcohol detected in 46% of men and 23% of women. Among people aged 25 to 45 who died by suicide, alcohol was detected in more than half. Attention must also be paid to the mental health of children and adolescents. Data from the Child Protection Centre show that in the first half of 2026, the Centre’s helpline received 254 contacts related to self-harm or suicidal thoughts among children, almost as many as during the whole of 2025, when 277 such cases were recorded. The Centre notes that approximately one in seven calls concerning these issues involved self-harm or suicidal thoughts. At the same time, fatal outcomes are more concentrated among boys and young men, while the number of recorded non-fatal cases of self-harm is increasing predominantly among girls. Suicides are preventable. A safe conversation, recognising the warning signs and receiving timely professional support can save a life. That is why this year we are raising donations to help ensure that evidence-based support reaches people experiencing a severe crisis in time, helping them receive the support they need and find a way forward.

#DodPieci

Manifesto

Social change starts with us!

We stand up for difficult issues and try to talk about them gently. We help people. We see the heroes in them and learn from their experiences. We give not only the gift of money, but also music. We celebrate the joy of giving and receiving. We truly believe that every person has value. We believe that social change starts with us.

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