Good Friday Appeal set to raise millions for Royal Children’s Hospital
This year’s Good Friday Appeal has issued its rally cry, with more than 100,000 volunteers expected to lead the statewide effort to top last year’s $18.04 million raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Good Friday Appeal
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The rally cry has sounded. From traffic light tin rattles, fun runs and bake sales, to greyhound races, raffle draws and a house auction, the human chain of kindness that pulls off the Good Friday Appeal has started to add its first links.
Over the next five weeks in the lead up to Easter, more than 100,000 volunteers are expected lead the statewide effort to top the $18.04 million raised for the Royal Children’s Hospital last year.
GFA director Anne Randall said that in the appeal’s 88th year, generous Victorians would again be key to ensuring the hospital remained a world leader in paediatric care.
“They’re the ones in the county towns at the intersections, answering the phones, galvanising their communities to give generously,” Ms Randall said.
“They’re an inventive lot, with ingenious fundraising schemes. This community is an almighty army. They gear up every year; whether it’s a meat raffle, a pyjama day, entering Run for the Kids, buying a parma at their local pub, donating online or on the phone.”
RCH chairman Rob Knowles said this year’s appeal aimed to fund the installation of a 3D motion capture system in gait laboratory to better assess movement disorders. It would also allow the hospital to extend access to its weight management service for overweight children, and set up an Australian-first program to better measure and treat heart damage sustained from chemotherapy.
On hand at Thursday’s launch was Ollie Wedding, 4, the face of the appeal. Ollie had his right lower leg amputated at 18 months, after being born without a shinbone, and with an unformed ankle and missing toes.
He has been supported by the hospital’s Limb Difference Clinic to receive a series of prosthetic legs to ensure he can run, jump and swim like the other kinder kids.
One of the appeal’s key fundraising events will be Kick for the Kids, when Essendon takes on North Melbourne on Good Friday.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said his team was “privileged and honoured” to support the appeal.
“We get humbled in AFL footy occasionally and this is one of those occasions. The cause and the kids in this hospital are bigger than anything we do,” Scott said.
LACE UP TO CHIP IN FOR THE KIDS
Charlotte Brundrett
With this year’s Good Friday Appeal officially under way, the countdown is on for its biggest fundraiser, next month’s Herald Sun/Transurban Run for the Kids.
Now in its 14th year, the event has grown to become one of the state’s largest fun runs, having raised more than $17.1 million for the Good Friday Appeal.
Money raised goes towards crucial services at the Royal Children’s Hospital, including funding projects, medical research and advancements in technology that help ensure every patient receives the best possible treatment.
For this year’s event, participants can run or walk the Woodlea Short Course (5.2km) or the 2019 Long Course (12.8km).
Both courses will cross the Bolte Bridge and culminate at Docklands, which will host a range of post-event activities for participants and supporters, including a recovery zone, live entertainment, prize giveaways and food outlets.
The 2019 Herald Sun/Transurban Run for the Kids takes place on Sunday, April 7, from 9am, kicking off at Marvel Stadium.
Entries are still open, but kits can no longer be mailed out and will have to be collected from the race office on Thursday, April 4, or Friday, April 5 .
For more information visit runforthekids.com.au.
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