‘Thank you, Lithuania!’ campaign in honour of all those who have helped to overcome first wave of coronavirus

Next Monday, 1 June, a nationwide campaign ‘Thank You, Lithuania!’ will take place to show gratitude to the Lithuanian people for the successful efforts in overcoming the first wave of COVID-19 and to ask them to continue staying focused and hopeful, so as to be ready to confront any other challenges lying  do it again

The campaign ‘Thank you, Lithuania!’ will start at 17.00 hrs. on 1 June all across the country, its cities and towns, with music sounds filling squares or parks or coming from the top of administrative and cultural buildings.

‘It was with songs that Lithuania regained its Freedom 30 years ago, and it will do it again in the face of the historical crisis, standing tall against the economic, social, health and emotional threats. This symbolic campaign will express our gratitude to our medical staff, officers, social workers, volunteers, supermarket staff, pharmacists, businesspeople and all the other heroes who helped provide security and key services. May ‘Thank you, Lithuania!’ reach all those who have shown resolve and discipline in the lockdown and thus have contributed to early containment of the first wave of the virus’, said Giedrius Surplys, the Head of the Public Information Group.

Outdoor 15min-concerts will be held on 1 June, while taking due regard to the safety requirements. The total of 253 music groups from 36 municipalities have by now expressed their wish to participate in the campaign free of charge, and this list is not finite yet. It has been confirmed already that the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gintaras Rinkevičius, will give performance in Cathedral Square in Vilnius, the Brass Band of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra will cheer the audience outside the National Philharmonic and the state choir Vilnius – at the foot of Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The National Opera and Ballet Theatre has also expressed its willingness to join the campaign, along with the Lithuanian State Wind Instrument Orchestra Trimitas, the orchestra of the Ministry of the Interior and municipal cultural and other groups.

Music-loving people are invited to support this initiative. You will find more information about specific concerts in your city or town on the Government Facebook. Events are free and open.

The ‘Thank you, Lithuania!’ will also take other forms too. As of 25 May, a week onwards, the heads of the Government, ministries and municipalities will be sending their thanks to those who helped during the crisis, and banners ‘Thank you, Lithuania’ (Thank you, Vilnius, Marijampolė ...!) will be allowed on public buildings, so will the appropriate festive lighting of the buildings.

We invite you to do video recordings of the concerts in order to have a full picture afterwards.

Please observe the still applicable lockdown restrictions and keep at a safe distance from each other in the events. May we remind you that the restriction of the maximum of 300 people in outdoor public events becomes effective as of 1 June.

The initiator of the campaign is the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the partners are the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania and the Association of Lithuanian Cultural Centres.