The third edition of 3FM Serious Request was again in Utrecht. By now, this yearly event had become a well-known fundraiser we all looked forward to when December approached. It was the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, who opened the event the 19th of December and announced that the Dutch government would start this edition with a donation of one million euro's, providing the Dutch citizens would also at least bring together a million.
The charity cause in 2006 were the victims of landmines. The tragedy of landmines victims almost never gets attention in the media. Accidents happen often years after the wars. These horrible things remain a real threat to the common people living in the regions once engulfed in conflict.
In 2006 nearly all 3FM radio DJ's applied to be in the glass house, abstaining from food for 7 days. There was an election held and the public voted for Giel Beelen, Gerard Ekdom and Sander Lantinga to do the honors this year:
Total amount funded in 2006 was € 2.648.495,-, including the one million promised by the Dutch government. At the same time the Belgian radio station Studio Brussel did a similar event called 'Music for Life', with the same idea, a couple of radio DJ's, locked up for a week, not eating, spinning records on requested for an amount donated to the Red Cross for the vistims of landmines. Their total fundraiser was doubled by the Flemish government and their total was a whopping € 2.705.156,-
A highlight that year was that Claudia de Breij, a 3FM radio DJ, walked from the glass house in Utrecht to the glass house in Leuven, 211 kilometers, to raise money. While at the same time a Studio Brussel DJ, Otto-Jan Ham, walked the same route the other way around, from Leuven to Utrecht.
The theme song in 2006 for Serious Request became Chelsea Dagger, from The Fratellis by popular demand.
